Al-Ahly coach aims for third place in Club World Cup

African champions Al-Ahly of Egypt have set their sights on finishing third in the FIFA Club World Cup that kicks off on Thursday in Japan.

The Cairo 'Red Devils' face Pachuca of Mexico on Saturday in the quarter-finals with the winners qualifying for a showdown against South American champions LDU of Ecuador four days later.

European 'kings' Manchester United are favoured to make the final from the other half of the draw that includes Adelaide United of Australia, Gamba Osaka of Japan and Waitakere United of New Zealand.

“For an African club to finish third in this competition resembles winning the title,” Portugal-born Ahly coach Manuel Jose told reporters before heading for Tokyo at the weekend.

“We will do our best to represent Africa and Egypt well, but our supporters must be aware there is a big gap between football in South America and Europe and football in Africa.

“Winning the Club World Cup is an impossible task for now. We need more time to achieve that goal,” said the coach who guided Ahly to four of a record six African Champions League titles.

His latest African conquest came last month in the remote Cameroonian cotton town of Garoua where Ahly held Cotonsport 2-2 to clinch a third title in four years after building a 2-0 first-leg advantage at home.

Jose warned the multi-million support base of Ahly spanning Egypt, North Africa and the Middle East that unrealistic expectations could hinder his star-studded squad.

“When Ahly went to Japan for the first time three years ago, fans wanted us to win the title and we finished last. A year later we approached the tournament more realistically and came third.

“We have a lot of excellent players. Sometimes it is Mohamed Aboutraika or Mohamed Barakat who stands out, but in general we perform as one strong unit,” the Portuguese said.

Long-serving defender Ahmed al-Sayed is more optimistic, believing his 'Red Devils' can master the 'Red Devils' of Europe and bring the club title to Africa for the first time.

“Ahly are capable of returning home with the gold medals. We are a very strong team who can always compete for international honours,” he told an Egyptian television channel.

Goalkeeper Amir Abdulhamid was more cautious: “Participating in the Club World Cup is a reward for our Champions League victory so we must enjoy it. Our aim must be to play well and finish in a respectful position.”

After overtaking bitter Cairo rivals Zamalek by winning the African title a sixth time, Ahly suffered a mini domestic slump against unfashionable rivals, losing 1-0 to Police Union and drawing 3-3 with ENPPI.

But they stopped the rot by edging Ghazi al-Mehalla 1-0 and assistant coach Hossam al-Badri believes arriving in Japan almost a week before their clash with Pachuca boosts hopes of making the semi-finals.

Ahly believe arriving late for the 2005 tournament meant players could not adapt to the seven-hour time difference between Cairo and Tokyo and they came last after losses to Al-Ittihad of Saudi Arabia and Sydney FC of Australia.

The most notable omission from a 23-strong squad is Tunisian midfielder Anis Boujelbene, who is reportedly considering returning home after failing to claim a regular first-team place.

Veteran defender Emad al-Nahas misses out after failing to recover from a long-term knee problem, but midfielder Ahmed Fathi has been included after recently recovering from a lengthy injury.