Al Ain: Al Ain ensured there will be two Asian representatives in the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018 semi-finals after a comprehensive 3-0 victory over African champions Esperance on Saturday.
Early strikes from Mohamed Ahmad and Hussein El Shahat set reigning UAE Pro League champions on their way and a second-half goal from Bandar Al Ahbabi secured the win. Al Ain will now take on Copa Libertadores winners River Plate in the semi-final back at their Hazza bin Zayed Stadium on Tuesday.
Both teams unfurled enormous banners ahead of the game and there was frenzied atmosphere throughout the all-Arab clash.
It was Al Ain who got off to the perfect start. After struggling past Team Wellington on penalties in their opening match, Zoran Mamic’s side showed no signs of fatigue - exploding out of the blocks against Esperance.
Just three minutes in, Rayan Yaslam’s in-swinging right-wing corner was headed home by defender Mohamed Ahmad, past wildly flailing Esperance goalkeeper Moez ben Cherifa.
#ClubWC |
??@ESTuniscom 0-3 @alainfcae_en??The host team are through to the semi-finals
@CARPoficial pic.twitter.com/MGKp0e8Pst— #ClubWC (@FIFAcom) December 15, 2018
Ben Cherifa, who suffered two defeats with Esperance in the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup, could do nothing about Al Ain’s second goal, however.
A rapid counter-attack by the hosts resulted in Yaslam turning provider again as he slipped the ball to Huessein Elshahat. The Egyptian midfielder was quickly surrounded by Esperance defenders but showed impressive composure to neatly cut back on to his right-foot and curl the ball into the top right corner.
The Tunisians searched desperately for a way back into the game and Al Ain had a lucky escape when Ghaylen Chaaleli’s header hit the crossbar with keeper Khalid Eisa seemingly beaten.
But in the 60th minute, the tie was put to bed by winger Al Ahbabi, who met Caio’s centre to the delight of a vociferous Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.
The match trundled towards its inevitable conclusion and though tempers flared at the end between goalscorer El Shahat and Esperance’s Ayman Ben Mohamed after the pair collided, Al Ain were able to hold on to a morale-boosting clean sheet.
Al Ain have now equaled the achievement of domestic rivals Al Jazira, who made it to last year’s FIFA Club World Cup semi-final before losing to Real Madrid. Should Al Ain beat Argentine giants River Plate in the last-four, a potential final clash with Los Blancos may await.
For Esperance, the search for a first FIFA Club World Cup victory goes on. Their fourth attempt will come in the fifth-place playoff against CONCACAF champions Guadalajara, who lost 3-2 to Asian champions Kashima Antlers in their quarter-final, on Tuesday.
Photos: FIFA via Getty Images
Source: the-afc.com