An Al Ahly star has lifted the lid on what the Egyptian giants expect when they face Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in the opening match of the FIFA Club World Cup.
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The revamped global spectacle is fast approaching, with an African side set to feature in the tournament’s curtain-raiser. The Club of the Century will get the competition underway against the David Beckham co-owned Inter Miami.
This opening clash will see the record CAF Champions League winners go up against a side led by the most decorated footballer in history — Lionel Messi. Representing the Egyptian giants will be Hussein El Shahat, a player with extensive experience at this level.
The Egypt international has already featured in four Club World Cup matches for Emirati side Al Ain, and nine for Al Ahly. He is expected to extend that record when the match kicks off on 15 June. El Shahat has acknowledged the challenge posed by Messi and his MLS teammates.
"Messi is the greatest player in the world, and the opening match will be extremely important and difficult for both teams,” El Shahat told FIFA’s official website.
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"Yes, the odds may favour the team that has the advantage of playing at home and in front of its fans. It's also a strong team, and that's what makes the match difficult. But at Al Ahly, we don't know the word 'impossible'. We always play to win — that's our philosophy."
