New Zealand's Auckland is one of the teams scheduled to take part in the Club World Cup, which kicks off on December 12 and finishes on December 22. The team, who face Al-Ittihad in the 1st round, will meet Al Ahly in the second round if they win. Coach Albert Riera knows his possible Egyptian opponent well. He spoke of the team's collective quality as well as its individual strengths."Al-Ahly is a great team we've played against before, and they have a wonderful leader in Mohamed El-Shenawy. They're top of their group in the Champions League and the Egyptian League.[...] Al-Ahly also have some great players, like Aliou Dieng, Mohamed Hani, Ali Maaloul and Percy Tau, and if we play them, it will be a tough encounter," he declared.
He particularly emphasized the quality of Ali Maaloul: "If you choose one player to be the best at Al-Ahly, it would be Ali Maaloul, who sends superb passes and is an intelligent player. He played many international matches with the Tunisian national team and took part in the World Cup."
Only Auckland and Al-Ittihad are playing in the 1st round of the Club World Cup. The match is scheduled for December 12 at 6pm GMT. The other teams entering the competition in the second round are Al Ahly, who will meet the winner of the showdown, and Leon, who will cross swords with Urawa Reds.Last but not least, Fluminense and Man City kick off the competition in the semi-finals.
Bonjour 🦁🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/4i8oe2G0YW
— Al Ahly SC 🇫🇷 (@AlAhlyfrancais) December 5, 2023
