Tough hurdle as Tau chases dream final against Pep Guardiola’s Man City
Percy Tau’s 2023 FIFA Club World Cup path with Al Ahly continues as they face a tough hurdle insearch of a dream final against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
The African Champions stormed into the semi-finals of the tournament on Friday after beating a star-studded Al Ittihad 3-1 in the quarter-finals.
They now prepare to face Brazilian side Fluminense, who boost of former Real Madrid star Marcelo.
The match is set for Monday at 8pm. And while this one is a tricky tie, the Bafana star and his side are fancying their chances of booking a spot in the final.
TAU AND AL AHLY HOPE TO FINALLY REACH THE CLUB WORLD CUP FINAL
Reaching the final of the FIFA Club World Cup has proved to be elusive for the Egyptian giants in all their appearances.
They are the second team with the most appearances in the tournament, yet they have never reached the decisive final.
Last time out, the African Champions won the competitions’ bronze medal after defeating Palmeiras 3-2 on penalties.
That time Pitso Mosimane was the head coach and he impressively led them to back-to-back bronze medals in 2020 and 2021.
This, though is a litmus test for the current coach Marcel Koller, if he can replicate or outweigh Mosimane’s feat.
Considering how they have fared against South American teams, it is not hard to imagine them beating Fluminense.
A win over Fluminense will likely set them up with Premier League giants, Manchester City in the final.
Pep Guardiola and Manchester City date Japanese giants Urawa Reds in the other semi-final match, where they are likely to cruise nicely.
In addition, the former Mamelodi Sundowns star will be hoping to get on the scoresheet against the Brazillians.
He did not score in the last match despite menacing throughout the match. His teammates Ali Maaloul, Hussein El-Shahat and Emam Ashour were on target. Karim Benzema scored Al Ittihad’s consolation goal
How he will perform remains to be seen but the experience will add more weight to his growing CV.
Simply put, this tournament comes as a perfect build-up for the revered star, ahead of the 2023 AFCON finals.
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