Al Ain Club will face a new challenge today at 8:00 PM, marking a first in the history of this esteemed club.
As the team host New Zealand’s Auckland City, the Oceania Champions League winner, at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium.
FIFA Intercontinental Cup
Al Ain and Auckland City match kicks off the inaugural edition of the Intercontinental Cup, a tournament newly introduced by FIFA this year.
The competition brings together the champions from the world’s continents, including:
- Al Ain as the Asian champion
- Egypt’s Al Ahly as the African champion
- Auckland City as the Oceania champion
- Mexico’s Pachuca as the North American champion
- Real Madrid as the European champion, who will directly play in the final
Al Ain is Ready to Win
Argentinian coach Hernán Crespo confirmed his team’s readiness for today’s match against a tough opponent, Auckland City, in the opening of the Intercontinental Cup.
He said, “We feel the responsibility as we represent the nation, and we must prove that we are the best and most deserving to be in this major competition.
We understand the task will be difficult, but we trust in our team and respect all competitors.
Playing on our home ground and in front of our fans gives us an advantage, and we must fight to bring joy to our supporters both inside and outside the stadium.
This requires focus to achieve the desired result.”
Crespo also dismissed concerns about recurring defensive errors in major matches, saying:
“Mistakes happen in football.
What’s important to me is that they don’t repeat and that we learn from them.
This is why I’m not too worried because all the players have a professional mindset and tactical awareness, which ensures they don’t make the same mistakes.”
Absence of Yahya Nader and Khalid Al Hashmi
Regarding the absence of Yahya Nader and Khalid Al Hashmi, Crespo clarified that Al Ain has capable replacements in its squad.
“We always work on preparing all players, especially since we are competing in seven tournaments this season.
It’s going to be a long season for us, and we need to be well-prepared.”
When asked about his knowledge of Auckland City, Crespo explained that he analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of opponents.
During preparations and discusses all details with his players to capitalize on them in the match.
He added that they’ve watched this team’s matches and are familiar with them.
Al Ain “the Boss” has always been a proud representative of UAE
The UAE fans, especially Al Ain supporters, are eagerly awaiting a strong performance from Al Ain in this major event.
As the “Boss” has always been a proud representative of UAE football in continental and global competitions.
The club has won the Asian title twice under its previous system.
It also finished as runners-up in the FIFA Club World Cup, which the UAE hosted in 2018.
If Al Ain wins today, they will head to Cairo to face Al Ahly of Egypt in the tournament’s quarter-finals on October 29.
The winner of that match will play against the victor from the South American champion vs. Pachuca (North American champion) match on December 11.
The two winners will meet in the semi-final on December 14, with the champion playing Real Madrid in the final on December 18, 2024.
Dubai maintains its international leadership among the top five countries in the world in the “Global Shipping Centre Development Index” for the year 2024. pic.twitter.com/9lID45MsX3
— UAE Voice (@uae_voiceeng) September 18, 2024
Key Players
Al Ain will be missing the services of defender Khalid Al Hashmi and midfielder Yahya Nader due to injury.
However, the technical staff is relying on other key players like:
- Sofiane Rahimi
- Laba, Kaku
- Palacios
- Bandar Al Ahbabi
- the International goalkeeper Khalid Eisa, who has extensive experience in big matches.
- Alongside them, a number of other talented players have shown impressive performances in recent times.
