…CLUB WORLD CUP

Onochie Anibeze, Qatar

…Nobody knows what will happen on the pitch of Khalifa Stadium here on Saturday.

…It is the final of Club World Cup.

Flamengo of Brazil will be on the pitch against the winner of Monterrey and Liverpool semifinal clash tonight night. Long before now, fans here predicted a Liverpool/Flamingo final.

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And if it turns out to be so there will be crackers on the night. Before Flamingo took on Al Hilal, fans here assumed that, as usual, English fans would dominate here. But what fans from Brazil displayed on the night Asia’s champions threatened the Samba men before dramatically falling 3-1 showed that the cheering on the stands may be balanced. Brazilain fans are here, so are English fans. The cheering may be even and the boys will determine who win on the night. World Club cup is taken so seriously in Brazil that they call it the Mumdial.

To be world club champions is a thing of great pride to them. This informs their large numbers here. In 1981 when they first met in the final when it was called Intercontinental Cup, Flamingo were 3-0 winners. It was a classic football night. Zico showed why he was such a huge global figure. His brace helped do in Liverpool. Can the reds revenge on Saturday?

They must win this night against Concacaf champions, Monterrey for us to experience the explosion everybody has been talking about here. They have Mo Salah, Mane, Alisson Becker, Van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, Origi and other first team players. The face of Monterrey is in Jose Basanta who is taking part in the Club Fifa World Cup for the fourth time.

‘I’m happy to to be able to return a Club World Cup, a tourney that you can compare with the World cup if organisation is anything to go by. I was in Brazil in 2014 and it was superb. I’ve played in Europe, competed in the World Cup with Argentina and I hope to have a good outing in Qatar,’ said the man who is now 35 and likely be appearing in his last World Club Cup.

Flamingo fell 1-0 in the first half and could have conceded more goals if Al Hilal took their chances last night. But they lost to experience and the Brazilains await who win tonight between Liverpool and Monterrey. It promises to be an entertaining match going by what the Mexicans played against Al Sadd Tuesday. The Club World Cup is one of the test runs for the 2022 World Cup that is three years away. It’s so because some facilities are ready now. Khalifa Stadium is one. Al Janoub Stadium in Wukrah is another. Al Bayt Stadium is among them although it has not been launched. Qatar is on the march to a promised best World Cup ever. Fifa officials are nodding here.

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Tonight’s game is taking place on the National Day here and the celebrations will dovetail into the game at khalifa Stadium. It is happening a day after Amir Sheikh Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani presented 2020 budget surplus but still with a five-year high expenditure. It just shows prudent management of their resources. And that’s why they are not flinching their huge expenses to host the best World Cup ever is not having on toil on them. They are not borrowing. Their surplus is taking care of the needs of the generation now and the future. ATTENTION: NIGERIA!

Vanguard