Al Sadd Faces Tunisian Esperance in FIFA Club World Cup

Tokyo, December 10 (QNA) - A heavyweight Arab clash is on the cards in FIFA Club World Cup staged in Tokyo from December 8-18 as Qatari side and Asian champions Al Sadd play Tunisian and African champions Esperance in the quarter-finals tomorrow at Toyota Stadium. The tournament features six continental champions along with host club and Japanese champions Kashiwa Reysol with European and South American representatives joining the tournament at the semi-finals. European champions FC Barcelona will face the winner of the all-Arab clash on December 15 with Santos of Brazil playing the winner of Kashiwa Reysol and Mexican side Monterrey on December 14. Esperance won the domestic double and went on to win CAF Champions League in the expense of Moroccan side Wydad. For its part, Al-Sadd who beat Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors to the Asian crown depend on their attacking partnership of the Senegalese Mamadou Niang and the Ivorian Abdul Kader Keita along with a group of local players, notably Khalfan Ibrahim in the front side. Uruguayan coach Jorge Fossati relies on the defensive partnership of Abdulla Koni and Lee Jung-Soo along with Nadir Belhadj and Wesam Rizik. "I have a great faith in my team. We will play a great opponent but we will make life difficult for them," Fossati said in the build up to the clash with Esperance. Seven Arab clubs previously took part in FIFA Club World Cup: Saudi side Al Nassr FC and Moroccan side Raja Casablanca in 2000, Saudi side Ittihad in 2005, Egyptian side Al-Ahly in 2005, 2006 and 2008, Esperance in 2007, Emirati sides Al-Ahli and Al Wahda in 2009 and 2010 respectively. Egyptian side Al-Ahly had the biggest achievement in the competition when they claimed third place in 2006 with some great shows especially from Mohamed Aboutrika who was the tournament top scorer with three goals to his name. FIFA Club World Cup was staged in Abu Dhabi in the last two years and is moving to Tokyo for more two years before moving to Morocco starting 2013. FC Inter won the last edition as they beat Congolese side Mazembe 3-0. (QNA)