Mosimane: We Can Spring A Surprise in the FIFA Club World Cup
Al Ahly head coach Pitso Mosimane had an interview with the FIFA official website to discuss Al Ahly’s participation in the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup, held in Qatar between 4-11 February.
Mosimane stated that all teams have equal chances in the world cup, adding that Al Ahly players need to be at their best in order to represent the continent, the country, and all the fans in the best possible manner.
“It is 90 minutes and we can spring a surprise if we give it all we’ve got on matchday. Football is a wonderful sport in which the unexpected can happen and we should take inspiration from what TP Mazembe did.” Mosimane said.
Al Ahly will start the FIFA Club World Cup’s journey against Qatari champions, Al Duhail SC, on 4 February.
Mosimane praised the Qatari team, saying "Al Duhail won the Qatari league because they’ve got some excellent players who’ve shown what they can do. Mario Mandzukic played for them until recently too. Now that we know they're our opponents, we’ll have a good look at them.”
Mosimane believes that the competition will be tough in the world cup with the participation of Bayern Munich and the Copa Libertadores winners.
The Red Eagles’ head coach spoke about Al Ahly’s squad that will participate in the World Cup, praising the team’s attacking midfielder Mohamed Magdy Afsha, who scored the winning goal against Zamalek in the CAF Champions League final.
Mosimane said “We’ve got excellent players and everyone speaks about Mohamed Magdy Afsha. That’s maybe because he got us to the Club World Cup with his goals, though he couldn’t have done it without his team-mates. He’s an Egypt international and we’re delighted to have a player of his quality and goalscoring ability. He’s a playmaker and helps us create space too.”
Mosimane will participate in the FIFA Club World Cup for the second time in history after leading Mamelodi Sundowns in the competition in 2016 in Japan.
Highlighting his first participation in the world cup, Mosimane recalled “It was our first Club World Cup experience and I think stage fright got the better of us. We didn’t do well and that just shows the level of competition here.”
Replying to Al Ahly’s chances in the World Cup in Qatar, Mosimane said “We’re a good side and we believe we can do big things.”
Mosimane mentioned Al Ahly’s previous participation in the competition in the time of Mohamed Aboutrika, Wael Gomaa, and Mohamed Barakat but they could not reach the final.
Moreover, he noted that the Red Eagles are back to the competition after a 7-year hiatus, adding that he recognizes how tough the competition is in FIFA tournaments.
When being asked about Al Ahly’s opponents in the competition, Mosimane said “We’ve got the Qatari team in our first match and then we’ll see what happens. We hope that we get the chance to face Bayern. We’d be delighted to play them and it would be an honor for us. There wouldn’t be any pressure on us either, because they’re the team who beat Barcelona.”
Al Ahly’s head coach concluded his interview by praising Al Ahly fans, saying “Our supporters believe we’ve got a chance. They always back us and we’ll give our all for them.”
