WASHINGTON (AP) — Kaku scored early in the second half to lift Al Ain to a 2-1 victory over Wydad on Thursday in the final match of the Club World Cup for both clubs.
Both teams were already eliminated from contention for the tournament's knockout round. They went into the final group match without a win in Group G, which was dominated by Juventus and Manchester City.
Manchester City defeated Juventus 5-2 simultaneously in Orlando, Florida, to claim the top spot in the group.
Wydad coach Mohamed Amine Benhachem was at the game on crutches following a traffic accident with a team physician earlier in the week. No one involved in the accident was seriously injured, but the Moroccan coach was unable to attend the team's news conference the day before the match.
Wydad scored in the fourth minute. Cassius Mailula found himself unchallenged at the end of a cross by Mohamed Moufid and beat goalkeeper Rui Patrício at the near post. Mailula is currently on loan to Wydad from Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.
Kodjo Laba converted a penalty just before halftime to pull Al Ain even.
Al Ain took the lead in the 50th minute when Paraguayan international Kaku finished into the upper right corner. Wydad centerback Jamal Harkass was injured in the run-up to the goal and had to be taken off on a stretcher.
Temperatures during the match at Audi Field were in the 90s Fahrenheit (30s Celsius).
Laba's successful penalty, which was confirmed by video review, broke a scoreless run in the tournament by the team from the United Arab Emirates. The Togolese forward was the UAE Pro League’s top scorer this past season.
With both teams already eliminated, the outcome was mostly a matter of pride for the winner. Wydad's only previous goal in the tournament came from Thembinkosi Lorch against Juventus.
“I think it's a good experience. It was a difficult group, with (Manchester) City and Juventus, but we competed until the end. I think this is good for Al Ain,” — Kaku.
“It's been difficult, and we are sorry that we didn't get the best result. Didn't win, but learned a lot. It was a great experience for us as a team going forward, also just for us to focus and regroup, and yes, to learn. The most important thing is to learn and take lessons to grow,” — Mailula.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Al Ain's Mohammed Abbas and Wydad AC's Ayoub Boucheta fall as they compete for the ball during the Club World Cup Group G soccer match between Wydad AC and Al Ain FC in Washington, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Al Ain's Abdoul Karim Traore and Wydad AC's Selemani Mwalimu chae the ball during the Club World Cup Group G soccer match between Wydad AC and Al Ain FC in Washington, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Al Ain's Abdoul Karim Traore and Wydad AC's Selemani Mwalimu chae the ball during the Club World Cup Group G soccer match between Wydad AC and Al Ain FC in Washington, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.
The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.
About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.
The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.
The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.
The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.
The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.
Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.
The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.
The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.
Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.
Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”
“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.
The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.
It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.
Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
