European champions Paris Saint-Germain suffered a shock 1-0 Club World Cup defeat against Brazilian side Botafogo on Thursday.
A first-half goal from Brazilian international and former UAE Pro League star Igor Jesus proved the difference as the reigning champions of South America all but secured a place in the knockout phase at the Pasadena Rose Bowl.
French champions PSG were one of the favourites for the expanded tournament, having capped a remarkable season with a 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan in the Uefa Champions League final last month.
But their hopes of securing a victory which would have seen them become the first side to reach the last 16 were dashed by a resilient performance from the Rio de Janeiro club.
“A lot of people wondered, but we showed how strong Botafogo is,” goalscorer Jesus said after the win. “It was a difficult game, and we had to defend well, and we did our job and scored a goal.
“We're really happy – we knew how important this game was. One team was the champion of the Champions League, the other team was the champion of South America,” added Jesus, who had been linked with a move to English Premier League side Nottingham Forest earlier this year before opting to stay with the Brazilians to play in the Club World Cup.
“I think I made the right choice to stay in Botafogo,” Jesus quipped.
It was a moment to celebrate for UAE football as well. Up until recently, Jesus was at Shabab Al Ahli in Dubai, where he played for nearly four years and developed into a quality centre-forward and also helped clinch a UAE Pro League title.
On Thursday, PSG dominated possession in front of almost 54,000 fans but Botafogo's defence stood tall to withstand waves of attacks from the French side in the first competitive meeting between the clubs.
A turnover near midfield generated an opportunity for Jesus, whose deflected shot left PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma flat-footed and only able to watch as the ball skipped into the net in the 36th minute.
PSG continued to be the aggressors in the second half as Botafogo were content to protect their lead.
PSG, who had scored 19 goals in their last five matches, had the ball in the net in the 79th minute but the goal was chalked off for offside and Botafogo held for the shock win.
Setback for Al Ahly
Palmeiras drew first blood in Club World Cup Group A with a 2-0 victory over Egyptian side Al Ahly in New Jersey.
The match was suspended in the 63rd minute because of a weather warning, with players and fans at the MetLife Stadium instructed to “take shelter” because of a nearby storm.
Palmeiras were leading by two goals at the time, with a Wessam Abou Ali own goal sending the Brazilians ahead in the 49th minute before Flaco Lopez doubled their lead on the Egyptian club 10 minutes later.
Victory took Palmeiras provisionally top on four points.
It was the third match at the tournament affected by adverse weather at the tournament.
“I think in general the way this type of thing (weather delay) affects the game; it was a very low beginning. It wasn’t easy to get back to the rhythm in the game,” Al Ahly coach Jose Riveiro said.
“Most of the team is coming from very long seasons, levels of energy aren’t the best. These types of interruptions aren’t going to help.”
