Ahly get off to flyer

Angola forward Flavio turned and fired home from the edge of the box to calm the Egyptians' nerves on 51 minutes, while African Champions League top scorer and Reading target Aboutraika sealed the win with a delightful free-kick 22 minutes later.

The win will help banish Ahly's memories of the last World Club Cup where they lost both of their matches after high expectations following a 50-game unbeaten run.

Auckland set their stall out from the start, sitting deep and focusing on breaking up Ahly's attacks while looking for the counter.

Flavio and Emad Motaeb went close for the Egyptians, but a combination of rash finishing and a poor final ball meant the sides went in goalless at half time.

The New Zealand and Oceania champions were also getting in amongst Ahly, out-fouling them by four-to-one and picking up no less than five bookings to Ahly's zero.

Auckland play in the New Zealand league which - unlike the Australian A-League in which top Kiwi team New Zealand Knights play - is amateur and the gulf in class showed, Ahly's patient midfield play from Aboutraika and Mohamed Shawky ultimately paying dividends when Flavio found space to send a rising drive past Ross Nicholson for 1-0.

From thereon in Ahly dominated and - with the exception of surging runs from the impressive Jason Haynes - Auckland offered little other than backs against the walls defending.

When Ahly won a 73rd minute free-kick on the edge of the Auckland box only one man was going to take it and Aboutraika made no mistake, curling the ball at an almost impossible trajectory to leave Nicholson helpless and give Ahly the points.

The same man could have made it three from an almost identical position soon afterwards, but his effort went just over, and Ahly exercised their strength in depth by bringing on three subs including Egypt international Tarek Said and closed the game down to a 2-0 win.

Ahly now face Internacional of Brazil to aim for a place in the final, while next up Chongbuk of South Korea play Mexican side America on Monday.