ABU DHABI 24 December 2018: Al Ain Football Club defeated champions of three continents in the preliminary round, quarter-finals and semi-finals of the 2018 Fifa Club World Cup.
Despite losing to European champions Real Madrid, Al Ain accomplished the best record of any Emirati football club.
Croatia’s Zoran Mamic, Technical Manager of Al Ain, expressed his joy at the team’s success, and stressed that the team’s presence in the finals is a significant achievement, said Wam.
Khalid Issa, Al Ain goalkeeper, said that Al Ain is looking forward to the coming seasons, as its players still aim for more success.
Real Madrid coach Santiago Solari praised Al Ain’s performance, while pointing out that the team deserved to be in the finals.
Al Ain’s performances in the cup thrilled fans since the first match, and they managed to overturn a deficit against New Zealand’s Wellington to tie the score at three goals for each team, and win during a penalty shootout.
Al Ain defender Mohammed Ahmed scored the fastest goal in the championship at only 79 seconds after the start of their quarter-final match.
Khalid Issa also won the “Best Player Award,” after the opening matches and semi-finals.
All the participating delegations and teams praised the organisation of the cup, which reflects the UAE’s professionalism in organising international sporting events.
