DOHA (Qatar): Reigning Qatar Stars League champions Al Duhail will face African champions Al Ahly in the second match of FIFA Club World Cup 2020 on Thursday.
In the opening match, South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai will meet Mexico’s Tigres UANL.
“We will face a strong Al Ahly side. But we are prepared well to take the challenge,” said Lamouchi.
The Red Knights experienced a dip in results and performance this season, prompting the club’s management to appoint Sabri Lamouchi as head coach back in October.
The Frenchman of Tunisian decent has been working hard to get the club back on track since then.
“It’s a great opportunity, even if I wasn’t at the helm of the team that won the league title,” said Lamouchi. “Credit goes to the coach who was here before me. The tournament will give my players a chance to showcase their skills at a higher level.”
Lamouchi sounded a cautious note, clearly in an attempt not to give the fans false hope.
“I’m here because the team had some issues last year and the club’s management wanted to introduce some changes,” he said. “Our goal is to be more competitive and be the best representative of Qatar and the Qatari league.”
“We must be realistic about our goals and acknowledge the fact that we are taking part in this tournament because Qatar is the host country and that we won the league last year,” he said.
“Winning the title isn’t my aim. We’ll be taking things one game at a time. We’re lucky to be playing at this level. It is a big challenge and we mustn’t be overly optimistic.”
After several cancellations last year due to Covid-19, FIFA tournaments are scheduled to resume this year, beginning with the FIFA Club World Cup.
“It’s a positive sign that the FIFA competitions will be back, beginning with the Club World Cup,” added Lamouchi.
