Al Duhail players taking part in a training session yesterday ahead of their 2020 FIFA Club World Cup match against Egypt's Al Ahly which will take place tomorrow.
The FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2020, set to kick off tomorrow, is taking place amid strict COVID-19 protocols but the excitement buzz ahead of the six-team tournament is building with each passing day.
Whether the players, the team officials or the die-hard fans, all the stakeholders are looking forward to an action-packed week of top-notch football, defying the difficulties of unavoidable safety and health measures taken by FIFA.
The two FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 stadiums – Education City Stadium and Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium - are ready to host the matches with fans allowed at 30% capacity throughout the tournament, which will conclude on February 11.
The popular event will kick off with a game between Asian champions Ulsan Hyundai FC and CONCACAF Champions League winners Tigres UANL at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium tomorrow, followed by the match between Qatar champions Al Duhail and African champions Al Ahly at the Education City Stadium.
The COVID-19 tests, which is a must for all to attend the games at the venues, continued yesterday as players flexed muscles in training sessions. The players and officials, who have already arrived in Doha, are a part of medical bubbles designed to protect them from virus, yet there is no hindrance to their preparations.
Yesterday, Al Duhail players - hoping to leave a mark on their debut in the tournament - underwent another strenuous training session prior to their second round match against Al Ahly, scheduled to kick off tomorrow at 8:30pm.
“Participation in this tournament means a lot to us. We are not just representing our club but we our also playing for Qatar,” Al Duhail star Bassam Al Rawi said yesterday.
“There is a lot of excitement and at the same time we feel the responsibility of doing well. This is an opportunity for us to show our potential and we are ready for this challenge,” said Bassam, who played key role in Qatar’s 2019 Asian Cup title triumph.
Al Duhail’s opponents Al Ahly, who got a warm welcome by their fans upon their arrival in Doha, are also expected to get good crowd support against the home side.
“We are also looking for good support from our home fans, and we want to perform well in the match which is a tough one,” said Bassam.
While Al Ahly will be hot favourites to beat the Red Knights tomorrow, the Egyptian side’s goalkeeper Mohammed El Shenawy said the match will be a difficult challenge.
“We’ve got Al Duhail first up, which will be a special game because they’re an Arab team playing at home and in front of their own fans. We’re expecting a tough match,” he said.
“Al Duhail are a strong side with some quality players. They’ve made some big signings, bringing in a forward and a defender. We’ve watched their last few games in the Qatari league and we know it’s going to be a big battle. We need to prepare the best we can so we can put in a good performance,” El Shenawy told FIFA.com.
Bayern Munich raring to win the title in Qatar
The winner of the game between the two sides will enter the February 8 semi-final against pre-event favourites Bayern Munich, who are eyeing sixth title in the astonishing 2019-20 season.
The 2013 CWC champions, this year have won the Bundesliga, DFB Cup, UEFA Champions League besides clinching the domestic and the European Super Cups.
Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer still remembers the feeling of winning the maiden CWC title when Bayern defeated Raja Casablanca 2-0 in December 2013.
“Now we’ve got the chance to play two games in Qatar. We’re determined to win our sixth title,” Neuer told FIFA.com.
The star goalkeeper, who has visited the Qatari capital several times with his team for the winter training camps, said Doha gives a chance to focus on football.
“The conditions and the pitches are good, and the distances are short between the hotel and the training complex. That puts the focus on football,” he said.
Neuer was also excited to play at the Qatar 2022 venues.
“It’s definitely a first experience as far as the World Cup is concerned. We can get to know the stadiums in advance and share that knowledge with our respective national teams. I hope we’ll be able to report back positively,” he said.
