Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia will face Brazilian Flamengo, and Al-Ahly will meet Real Madrid in the semi-finals
The sun of Arab football continued to shine on international competitions in the recent period, following the qualification of the Saudi Al-Hilal and Al-Ahly teams to the semi-final round in the Club World Cup, which is currently being held in Morocco.
Less than two months following the legendary achievement of the Moroccan national team, which rose to the golden square in the World Cup finals in Qatar 2022, to become the first Arab and African team to achieve this matter, Al-Hilal and Al-Ahly gave a new luster to Arab football at the global level, following the two teams kept their seats in the semi-finals of the World Cup. Clubs, for the second edition in a row.
Al-Hilal set a revenge date with Brazilian Flamengo in the next round in the World Cup, following its exciting victory over Moroccan Wydad Casablanca 5-3, with a penalty shootout, which the two teams resorted to following the end of the original and extra time with a 1-1 draw in the second round of the competition.
On the other hand, Al-Ahly is in a heavy-caliber confrontation once morest Spanish Real Madrid in the semi-finals, following its precious 1-0 victory over the American Seattle Sounders, in the second round of the World Cup as well.
Al-Ahly of Egypt will meet Spanish Real Madrid in the most difficult confrontation in its history (the official website of Al-Ahly of Egypt)
Perhaps the tournament will witness a purely Arab confrontation in the final match for the first time in history, if Al-Hilal and Al-Ahly succeed in overcoming their competitors, so that one of them achieves the dream of the Arab fans to win a world football title.
In the second world football tournament to be held in Arab stadiums within the past three months, the Arabs continued to prove their ability to organize well, host the most powerful international competitions, and give them the “Success Seal”.
The tenth edition of the Club World Cup, which is being held on Arab lands, witnessed an intense presence of the Moroccan fans, who not only supported the Wydad Casablanca team – its representative in the tournament – but also supported the Al-Hilal and Al-Ahly teams, to prove that they are in love with the beautiful game.
This is the sixth edition in a row in which the Club World Cup will be held in our Arab stadiums, following the UAE hosted the 2017, 2018 and 2021 editions, while Qatar organized the 2019 and 2020 editions, knowing that Morocco previously hosted the tournament in the 2013 and 2014 editions, and before that the UAE in 2009 and 2010.
In the second confrontation that takes place between them in the Club World Cup, Saudi football continued its superiority over its Moroccan counterpart in the tournament that had previously witnessed the Saudi victory 4-3 over Moroccan Raja Casablanca in the two groups, in the first edition of the competition in Brazil in 2000, which took place at that time with the participation of 8 teams. It was divided into two groups.
Asian football also continued to devote its support to Moroccan national teams and teams in international competitions. Where the “Atlas Lions” team lost twice to the teams of the yellow continent, in the two editions of the World Cup: 1994 in the United States of America once morest Saudi Arabia (1-2), and 2018 in Russia once morest Iran (0-1).
Wydad had previously lost 2-3 once morest Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds in the fifth and sixth place match in the Club World Cup in 2017. This became the third time that Al-Hilal reached the semi-finals in the Club World Cup following the 2019 and 2021 versions, to become the most Asian team to reach The golden square in the tournament.
Al-Hilal scored its 11th goal in its career in the Club World Cup, to advance to second place in the list of the most scored Asian clubs in the tournament, with a difference of two goals behind Kashima Antlers of Japan (the leaders), who scored 13 goals in two versions, while the Saudi team scored 12 goals in the competition so far.
Al-Hilal, who is participating in the current World Cup as a representative of the Asian continent, following winning the last edition of the AFC Champions League in 2021, became the first team from the yellow continent to score in 3 different versions of the competition.
Diaz faces a difficult task to overtake Brazilian Flamengo (Photo: Ali Al Dhaheri)
During the 7 matches he has played in the Club World Cup so far, Al Hilal has achieved two victories and two draws, while he has suffered 3 defeats.
The confrontation once morest Flamengo, the champion of the Libertadores Cup for South American clubs, tomorrow, Tuesday, in the semi-finals of the World Cup, will be a revenge for the Argentine coach Ramon Diaz, who is looking to recover from his 3-1 loss once morest his Brazilian opponent in the semi-finals of the 2019 edition.
For his part, Al-Ahly proved that he is “the chief of the people”, not only in Egyptian football; Rather, in Africa as well, following he continued to honor African football in the World Cup by advancing to the semi-finals of the competition, for the fifth time in his history, and the third in a row.
Al-Ahly, the only representative of African football in the World Cup now, is on a date with a fiery confrontation next Wednesday once morest Real, the holder of the European Champions League title, and the record holder as the team that wins the most club World Cup title, with 4 titles.
Al-Ahly, who is participating for the eighth time in its history in the championship and the third in a row, dreams of becoming the first African club to beat one of the clubs of the old continent in the Club World Cup.
The precious victory achieved by the Club of the Century in Africa, over the champion of the North, Central American and Caribbean Confederation (CONCACAF), carried many exciting numbers.
Al-Ahly snatched its eighth victory in the FIFA Club World Cup, ending its partnership with Barcelona, Spain, and finishing second in the list of the most victorious teams in the history of the tournament, with two victories behind Real Madrid (the leaders).
The Egyptian team continued to fly at the top of the list of the teams with the most matches in the history of the tournament, following playing its 20th match in the Club World Cup, and it is expected that it will enhance its record during that edition, during which it guaranteed its playing in two matches, to raise its tally to 22 matches in the competition.
Al-Ahly scored his 21st goal in his career in the Club World Cup, to consolidate his position in the fourth place in the list of the most goals-scoring clubs in the history of the competition, behind Real Madrid (31 goals), Mexico’s Monterrey (25) and Barcelona (23).
This is Al-Ahly’s third consecutive victory in the Club World Cup, to achieve the largest series of victories in its history in the Mundial, and he kept his net clean during his last three matches in the tournament. Al-Ahly did not concede goals once morest Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia in the third-place match in the last edition of the World Cup, in addition to the Auckland and Seattle matches in that edition, which is happening for the first time.
Mohamed El-Shennawy, Al-Ahly goalkeeper, kept his net clean in the World Cup for the fourth match; Where he did not concede goals once morest Al-Duhail of Qatar and Palmeiras of Brazil (2020 version) in addition to the Auckland and Seattle matches in that version, to equal the achievement of German Manuel Neuer, Bayern Munich goalkeeper who played the largest number of matches in the Club World Cup with a clean sheet.
In its sixth meeting with North American clubs in the Club World Cup, Al-Ahly, who became the first Egyptian team to beat a United States team in an official match, achieved its third victory over CONCACAF clubs in exchange for 3 defeats, raising its scoring tally once morest it to 7 goals.
Mohamed Magdy Afsha, who scored Al-Ahly’s only goal in Seattle, joined the list of scorers for the “Red Genie” in the Club World Cup, following he became the twelfth player who managed to score the net with the Egyptian team’s shirt in the history of the tournament.
Swiss Marcel Koller, coach of Al-Ahly, became the first coach of the red team to win the first two matches in the Club World Cup. But he is the third coach to achieve two victories with the team, following Portuguese Manuel Jose and South African Pitso Mosimane.
Kohler maintained his successful start with Al-Ahly, who took over his leadership last September, in light of not receiving any loss during his first 22 meetings with the team in all tournaments; During which he achieved 17 wins and 5 draws.
Al-Ahly hopes to obtain a new medal in its busy career in the Club World Cup, following winning the bronze medal in the 2006, 2020 and 2021 editions.