Al-Ittihad Dominates Auckland City in First Half of FIFA
The first half of the match between Al-Ittihad and New Zealand’s Auckland City ended with a clean three-goal lead for Al-Ittihad, marking the opening of the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia, according to Al-Jawhara Magazine.
The 2023 FIFA Club World Cup which started yesterday will run for 10 days (December 12 and will end in December 22).
Romarinho, N’Golo Kanté, and Karim Benzema scored the goals at the 29th, 33rd, and 40th minutes respectively. The winner of this match between the Saudi and New Zealand champions will face Al-Ahly on the upcoming Friday in the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup in Jeddah.
Al-Ittihad’s Squad for 2023 FIFA Club World Cup
Coach Marcelo Gallardo relies on a strong squad for the Club World Cup, albeit missing Luiz Felipe due to injury. The squad is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Marcelo Grohe, Abdullah Al-Mayouf, Osama Al-Murmsh.
Defense: Ahmed Hegazi, Omar Hawsawi, Sultan Al-Farhan, Zakaria Hawsawi, Mohanad Al-Shanqiti, Hassan Kadish, Ahmed Bamsaud, Madallah Al-Olayan.
Midfield: N’Golo Kanté, Fabinho, Faisal Al-Ghamdi, Marwan Al-Shaafi, Abdulrahman Al-Obud, Saleh Al-Amri, Igor Coronado.
Forwards: Jota, Karim Benzema, Romarinho, Abdulrazak Hamdallah.
Al-Ittihad signed Marcelo Gallardo as coach, succeeding Nuno Santo, who won the Saudi Roshen Professional League and the local Super Cup.
Karim Benzema’s Record in Club World Cup
Karim Benzema, the star of Al-Ittihad Jeddah, is among six players who scored 4 goals in the competition, just three goals shy of Cristiano Ronaldo, the top scorer in the history of the Club World Cup with 7 goals. The Frenchman, formerly of Real Madrid, is the top goal scorer among participants in the 2023 Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia, seeking to become the eighth player to score for multiple teams in the competition.
Auckland City’s Squad in Club World Cup
Auckland’s squad is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Sebastian Sziganda, Conor Tracey, Joe Wallis.
Defense: Christian Gray, Mario Ilich, Adam Mitchell, Adam Bell, Regont Murati, Nathan Lobo, Jordan Vale, Alfie Rogers.
Midfield: Timothy Bailey, Cameron Howieson, Gerard García, Aidan Carey, Tong Zhu, Mitchell Dean Hare.
Forwards: Joe Lee, Angus Kilkolly, Manickum Daylan, Emiliano Tade, Liam Gillion, Ryan De Vries.
Venues of 2023 FIFA Club World Cup in Jeddah
The venues for this year’s FIFA Club World Cup are:
- King Abdullah Sports City’s Radiant Jewel Stadium: Hosting 5 out of the 7 tournament matches, including the semi-finals and the final.
- Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah: Hosting two matches, including the third-place match and a second-round game.
Al-Ittihad Jeddah, participating in the twentieth edition of the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia, marks its second appearance in the tournament after previously participating in 2005 and finishing fourth.
Participating Clubs in 2023 FIFA Club World Cup
The participating clubs for this year’s FIFA Club World Cup are:
- Al-Ittihad Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) – Host Nation Champion
- Al-Ahly (Egypt) – CAF Champions League Winner
- Manchester City (England) – UEFA Champions League Winner
- Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan) – AFC Champions League Winner
- Club León (Mexico) – CONCACAF Champions League Winner
- Fluminense (Brazil) – Copa Libertadores Winner
- Auckland City (New Zealand) – OFC Champions League Winner
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Ittihad vs Al Ahly: Anticipated Clash in FIFA Club World Cup 2023
