Caitlin Dillon
The FIFA Club World Cup will get underway in Doha for the
very first time at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium this evening at 8:30pm. The first
teams to participate in this year’s edition will be QNB Stars League
reigning-champions Al Sadd and OFC Champions League winners, Hienghene Sport.
Al Sadd are entering the competition for the second time,
having previously finished third in the 2011 edition, meanwhile Heinghene Sport
will be making New Caledonia’s first-ever appearance.
Hienghene were the first of the teams to touch down in Doha,
making their arrival at the end of November, and have been training daily ever
since.
Bertrand Kaï, Hienghène Sport’s captain, shared his
excitement at being involved in such a prestigious competition, “This is a
moment of real pride. Having grown up in Hienghène, I never expected my small
hometown club to set foot on a global stage. We are delighted to be in Doha and
thank everyone for their hospitality – we can’t wait for the tournament to get
started and to represent New Caledonia with the world watching.”
Meanwhile Nasser Al Khater, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC
and FIFA Club World Cup 2019 Local Organising Committee CEO, said: “Hienghène
Sport’s journey to Doha is testament to football’s power to inspire and bring
people together.
Al Sadd, on the other hand, have turned their attention to
the competition following the Qatar national team’s participation in the 24th
Arabian Gulf Cup, which concluded earlier this week.
Xavi Hernandez, Al Sadd’s Head Coach, spoke of the honour
his club feels at taking part in such a prestigious competition, "It's a
big privilege for us to play against the best clubs during this year... so we
are very excited to play, to start the competition."
With Qatar’s footballing journey gaining momentum with each
year that passes, Xavi said that there is no reason why his team could not go
on to win, “We have the best generation of Qatari players in history, in my
opinion."
The Catalan footballer-turned-manager was also delighted to
learn that he is the first to have both played and coached in the tournament,
having won the coveted trophy twice.
The winners of the first Club World Cup match will go on to
play Monterrey of Mexico in round two of the competition.