Xavi’s Al Sadd to take on Oceania champions Hienghene Sport as FIFA Club World Cup kicks off today
Qatari club Al Sadd, winners of the Qatar Stars League and semi-finalists at the 2019 AFC Champions League, will take on surprise Oceania champions Hienghene Sport in the opening game of the 16th edition of the FIFA Club World Cup today at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Al Sadd.
This will be Al Sadd’s second participation in the competition after debuting in the 2011 edition, where they finished third.
Al Sadd, under the tutelage of Xavi Hernandez who won that 2011 edition with Barcelona, are staying fully focused and the Qatar internationals who did duty in the Gulf Cup have returned to their fold. The team’s technical staff had been putting other players through their paces in the absence of main players.
Xavi took up the reins as coach of ‘Al Zaeem’ in August after four seasons playing for the club during which he played a crucial role in Al Sadd’s successful season leading them to Amir Cup final and the pre-quarter-finals of AFC Champions League in his fourth and final season as a player, besides the QSL title. Under Xavi, Al Sadd earned plenty of impressive results as they set many records in the last season.
Al Sadd, the Qatari champions, who defeated Al Rayyan 6-0 in their last group match in the Ooredoo Cup, have more experience than Hienghene Sport and have the home advantage, but they will be wary of the rivals who are the first New Caledonian team and the second Oceanian club (not from Australia or New Zealand) to reach the Club World Cup and will themselves be hoping to spring a surprise.
Hienghene Sport, coached by Felix Tagawa, may not have much credentials in terms of trophies won being a relatively young club founded in 1997, but they can prove a tricky side for the rivals which they have done on many occasions especially during the 2019 OFC Champions League where they accounted for the semi-finals exit of defending champions Team Wellington before eviscerating their home rivals, Magenta, in the final.
"We’ve looked at Hienghene and we understand that we’re the favorites, although you still have to go out and do it on the pitch. Our aim is for the players not to feel the added pressure that comes with being the home team and wanting to perform – as can often happen. We want them to play without fear and express themselves freely. There are some quality players in my team," said Xavi at the pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
Historically, the Club World Cup is a tournament given to surprises. In the last six editions, home advantage has propelled the host nation’s representatives to the final on three occasions: Raja Casablanca (2013), Kashima Antlers (2016) and Al Ain (2018) and Al Sadd will be hoping to be the fourth one.
“We know this is a difficult tournament as it is featuring the best teams in the world but we are prepared to give our best and go all the way. We are counting on our fans to troop out in large numbers to support us as we take on this mission of giving Qatar something to cheer about at the global stage,” the former Barcelona midfield maestro added.
For the team from Hienghene, a 2,500 resident town located five hours from the New Caledonia's capital of Noumea, playing at the FIFA Club World Cup is itself a great achievement and the team seems to have nothing to lose should they suffer defeat in the hands of Al Sadd tonight.
“We have nothing to lose and we are prepared, said coach Felix Tagawa whose team arrived in Doha ten days early for the tournament and have put in a week’s preparation. They have good defenders and midfielders and a top striker in Baghdad Bounedjah but we have done well to qualify for this tournament and we want to give our all,” he added.
The team would be counting on the services of their star players especially the 2012 Oceanian Footballer of the Year Bertrand Kaï and goalkeeper Rocky Nyikeine, who was deservedly voted the best goalkeeper in this year’s OFC Champions League, during which his stellar performances helped Hienghene remain unbeaten throughout and concede just twice in six games, to upturn Al Sadd’s apple cart in today’s match.
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