The 10th edition of the Club World Cup, hosted in Morocco, kicks off with a play-off featuring the lowest-rated teams. Raja Casablanca, the reigning Moroccan champion, will commence the tournament by facing off against the New Zealand club Auckland City. As the automatically qualified champion club from the host country, Raja is making its second appearance in the competition, the first being in Brazil in 2000.
Despite recent subpar results and the departure of Fakher, Raja Casablanca is determined to take their chances boldly against the New Zealand opponents. Under the guidance of Tunisian coach Benzarti, who has recently assumed leadership, the Moroccan team aims to secure victory in their first official match with the Greens and Whites.
A triumph is crucial for Raja Casablanca if they aspire to set up a showdown with the European champions, Bayern Munich, who suffered a defeat in the Champions League against Yaya Touré’s Manchester City – 2-3! (Review the goals).
In the subsequent round, the victor will face the Mexican team Monterrey (CONCACAF) on Saturday. Meanwhile, the other match will witness the winner of the Asian C1, Guangzhou Evergrande (CHN), challenging the African champions, Al Ahly (EGY).
The tally includes Europe with five titles and South America with four. The Bavarians are expected to be the prominent favorites for the tournament. Having already achieved a quadruple with victories in the Champions League, Bundesliga, German Cup, and European Super Cup, the Germans have the opportunity to add an unprecedented trophy to their illustrious list of accomplishments.
