Raphinha rewarded after Barcelona’s Joan Gamper victory over Al Ahly

Raphinha was named player of the match after helping Barcelona beat Al Ahly 2-1 in the Joan Gamper Trophy at Spotify Camp Nou on Wednesday evening.

The Brazilian forward received the award from the tournament’s organising committee after the final whistle, following a performance that included one of Barcelona’s goals.

Barcelona secured the friendly trophy with a 2-1 victory. Raphinha scored from the penalty spot, while Hamza Abdelkarim was also on target for the Catalan side. Al Ahly had a late opportunity to alter the outcome, but new signing Anthony Gordon missed a penalty in the closing stages.

Raphinha’s goal came after he had won the spot-kick himself. He then took responsibility from 12 yards and placed his shot to the right of goalkeeper Mustafa Shobeir, giving the goalkeeper no chance to prevent the Brazilian from finding the net.

The award recognised Raphinha’s influence in a match played in front of Barcelona’s home support. The winger finished ahead of Hamza Abdelkarim in the individual voting, despite the Egyptian also making a decisive contribution to the result.

Abdelkarim scored Barcelona’s first goal of the match by meeting a low cross from Alejandro Balde and turning the ball into the net. His finish helped establish Barcelona’s position in the game before Raphinha added his name to the scoresheet from the penalty spot.

The result gave Barcelona the Joan Gamper Trophy, while Al Ahly were left to reflect on a narrow defeat after Gordon’s late penalty miss. The England international, who has recently joined the club, was unable to convert the chance during the final minutes.

Raphinha’s recognition came immediately after a match in which both his attacking contribution and ability to create a decisive moment proved important. Having earned the penalty, he completed the move himself and was subsequently selected as the game’s outstanding player by the official tournament panel.

The Joan Gamper Trophy was contested at Spotify Camp Nou, with the match ending in a 2-1 result in Barcelona’s favour. Raphinha and Hamza Abdelkarim supplied the goals credited in the contest, while Gordon’s unsuccessful late spot-kick denied Al Ahly the chance to put further pressure on Barcelona before the closing whistle.

For Raphinha, the award provided an individual highlight to accompany Barcelona’s success in the friendly competition. His penalty and Abdelkarim’s finish proved sufficient to secure the trophy, with the Brazilian ultimately taking the main personal honour of the evening.