Al Sadd Return to Club World Cup Fold with Eye on Hienghene Sport
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SPORT PAGE | 09 PAGE | 11 Sri Lanka begin Lionel Messi out first Pakistan but coach Conte Test tour expects Inter in a decade to suffer Tuesday 10 December 2019 Al Sadd return to Club World Cup fold with eye on Hienghene Sport THE PENINSULA Al Sadd’s players taking part in a training session ahead of their opening DOHA match of the FIFA Club World Cup 2019 match against Hienghène Sport which will be played at their home ground, tomorrow. RIGHT: Coach Xavi Al Sadd and their coach Xavi Hernandez Hernandez looks on during the training session. PICTURE: TWITTER / @ALSADDSC are set to return to FIFA Club World Cup fold tomorrow when they meet Hienghene Sport in the opening match of the seven-team event. Al Sadd last played the FIFA Club World Cup in 2011 when - coached by Jorge Fossati - the Doha giants finished third behind Barcelona and Santos of Brazil. Xavi, a two-time winner of the event A new name with Barcelona, is now on the touchline on the trophy with Al Sadd with whom he played a For the first time since Real couple of seasons before taking over as coach at the start of the 2019-20 season. Madrid lifted the title in 2014, Having been eliminated at the semi- we will see a new name on the final stage of the AFC Champions League Club World Cup. in October by eventual champions Al Nine sides have tasted Hilal, Al Sadd were not going to be robbed victory, who will be number 10? of their place at the finals at the December 11-21 event. The Qatari club had already Roll of honour qualified for the event as hosts having Real Madrid (2014, 2016, 2017, emerged QNB Stars League Champions 2018) last season. Barcelona (2009, 2011, 2015) The home side must be feeling con- Corinthians (2000, 2012) fident following the return of the national Bayern Munich (2013) team players after the end of the Gulf Cup. Inter Milan (2010) National team captain Hassan Al Manchester United (2008) Haydos, Asian Player of the Year Akram AC Milan (2007) Afif, star goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb and Internacional (2006) key defender Abdelkarim Hassan will join Sao Paulo (2005) feared striker Baghdad Bounedjah, play- maker Gabi and Bualem Khoukhi. On the other hand, Al Sadd’s rivals at CLUB WORLD CUP 2019 QATAR: PARTICIPATING TEAMS Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium Hienghene SQUAD: COUNTRY-TEAM CONFEDERATION QUALIFICATION PARTICIPATION Sport were the first visiting side to land GOALKeePERS: Saad Al Sheeb, Meshaal in Qatar, having travelled 13,000km from Barsham, Yousef Abdullah Entering in the semi-finals New Caledonia to represent Oceania as DEFENdeRS: Pedro Miguel, Abdelkarim Brazil-Flamengo CONMEBOL 2019 Copa Libertadores champions 1st Hassan, Tarek Salman, Hamid Khaleefa, OFC Champions League winners. England-Liverpool UEFA 2018–19 UEFA Champions League champions 2nd (Previous: 2005) The club are just 22 years old and Boualem Khoukhi, Hussain Bahzad, were crowned continental champions in Yasir Isa Entering in the second round only their second appearance in the tour- MIDFIELdeRS: Jung Wooyoung, Ali Saudi Arabia-Al Hilal AFC 2019 AFC Champions League champions 1st nament, seeing them spring onto the Assadalla, Gabi, Salem Al Hajri, Moustafa Tunisia-Espérance de Tunis CAF 2018–19 CAF Champions League champions 3rd (Previous: 2011, 2018) Tarek, Faisal Mohammad global stage as the first non-New Zealand Mexico-Monterrey CONCACAF 2019 CONCACAF Champions League champions 4th (Previous: 2011, 2012, 2013) side to represent the OFC since 2010. FORWARds: Abdulaziz Rashid Al Ansari, Hassan Al Haydos Entering in the first round They’re going to savour every moment. Baghdad Bounedjah, Nam Tae-Hee, Hashim Ali, Akram Afif, Rami Suhail Meanwhile, Monterrey and ES Tunis New Caledonia-Hienghène Sport OFC 2019 OFC Champions League champions 1st COacH: Xavier Hernandez are serial regulars, but are yet to clinch Qatar-Al Sadd AFC (Hosts) 2018–19 QNB Stars League champions 2nd (Previous: 2011) the final spot they both yearn. Together they’ve made it to the finals seven times since 2011 – will this year be the one FIXtures CONCACAF Champions, Monterrey players posing for a photograph with the Mexican Ambassador to where it all comes together? Qatar H E Graciela Gómez García upon their arrival in Doha, yesterday. PICTURE: TWITTER / @RAYADOS Arab giants Al Hilal may have finished PLAY-OFF ROUND top of the pile for the third time in Asia Tomorrow: Al Sadd vs – with this being their first time they Hienghene Sport have hoisted the AFC Champions League 8:30pm at Jassim bin Hamad aloft since it began in 2002 – but Saudi Stadium Arabia’s most successful club are set to take their opening bow at the Club World Cup. QuaRTER-FINALS Meanwhile, Liverpool and Flamengo December 14: Play-off winner vs command two of the biggest fanbases Monterrey on the planet, with both used to seeing 8:30pm at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium passionate supporters fill their respective December 14: Al-Hilal vs Esperance and hallowed cathedrals of football. The de Tunis duo will land in Qatar as Europe and 5.00pm at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium South America’s best, honours that place Fifth-place play-off them as favourites – with the trophy yet to reside outside either continent. December 17: QF 1 Loser vs QF 2 Loser They arrive fitting of their monikers, 5:30pm at Khalifa International Stadium with both sides in scintillating form. While Flamengo are fresh from being SemI-FINALS crowned Brazilian champions, suffering December 17: QF 1 Winner vs Flamengo Hienghène Sport players and officials just one defeat since August, Liverpool 8:30pm at Khalifa International Stadium at present sit eight points clear at the top December 18: QF 2 Winner vs Liverpool of the Premier League, without defeat in 8:30pm at Khalifa International Stadium the competition since January. With attacking prowess and intensity high on both of their talented rosters, the THIRD-PLace PLAY-OFF likes of Mohamed Salah, Gabriel ‘Gabigol’ December 21: SF 1 Loser vs SF 2 Barbosa, Virgil van Dijk and Bruno Hen- Loser rique will be certain to entertain the 5:30pm at Khalifa International global audience. Stadium On December 21, the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2019 will climax with one of FINAL them hoisting the trophy after eight December 21: SF 1 Winner games pitting the best the planet has to offer. vs SF 2 Winner Who will it be? 8:30pm at Khalifa Stay tuned! International Stadium.