Egyptian giants Al Ahly will be gunning to reach FIFA Club World Cup final for the first-time in history when they face South American champions Palmeiras in the semi-final at Al-Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
The Red Devils made to the last four after beating Mexico’s CF Monterrey 1-0 in the preliminary round clash that was played three days ago in the United Arab Emirates.
Pitso Mosimane’s charges will be meeting Palmeiras for the second time in the semifinals after beating the Brazilians last year in the third-place playoff.
The South African gaffer, who will be welcoming six international players, will again be expected to mastermind a win against Palmeriras.
“The game will be tough. We managed to defeat Palmeiras on penalties last year, and this shows that both teams are very strong. The two teams won the champions league for two times in a row and this reflects how strong they are,” said Mosimane.
“Al Ahly are in the FIFA Club World Cup. This is a good thing for the club and also the players. We are well prepared and we managed to come here despite all the obstacles that we faced.
“It is not easy to play with international players in tomorrow’s (Tuesday) game. Their fitness condition is not clear for us, but we trust the rest of the players.”
Looking at the Brazilians, Palmerias will want to upset the hosts and ensure they are victorious against the record African champions, but it will not be an easy assignment.
Coach Abel Ferreira is already preparing his troops for a tough encounter, especially with the fact that they were automatically placed in semis.
He believes Al Ahly are a good side, but says the match could go in their favour as their opponents will want to attack.
“Football is magical. When everyone thought that Monterrey was going to reach the final, Al Ahly ended up winning,” said Ferreira.
“This makes us more focused than ever. It was a warning and we have to be more aware of the difficulties that will face us on Tuesday night.
“In football 2 + 2 is not 4. The difficulty of football revolves around competition and organization, and we saw that in the Al Ahly’s match against Monterrey. The team that is most effective and creates more chances will qualify.
“Our focus is on the semi-final match, we strive to win in order to continue fighting for our dream,” he concluded.
This will be the third time when Al Ahly in Club Wolrd Cup. They lost 2-1 to Internacional in 2006, then were beaten 1-0 by Corinthians six years later.
Should they repeat last year’s result against Palmeiras, reaching their first-ever final would taste all the sweeter after breaking their Brazilian hoodoo.
