Ahli (Egypt) vs. Corinthians (Brazil) Kickoff: 12.30 CLT FIFA Club World Cup – Semi-final Venue: Toyota Stadium, Toyota MATCH FACTS -The game will be Ahli's second against a Brazilian club. The first ended in a 2-1 defeat to Internacional at the 2006 Club World Cup. -Ahli equaled Manchester United's record of 10 Club World Cup goals to become joint-second highest-scoring team out of 47 clubs in the history of the tournament, yet they are seven behind top-scorers Barcelona. -Ahli have only played 20 competitive matches – excluding the calamitous Masri game in Port-Said – in 2012 so far, while Corinthians played 74. -Ahli's match with Hiroshima Sanfrecce was a record eighth appearance at the World Cup for the Egyptians, who are even guaranteed to extend the number by two more games this season. -Ahli defender Wael Gomaa holds the world record for highest number of appearances in the competition, having played every minute of his team's previous eight games. -Ahli have only kept one clean sheet from their eight matches in the Club World Cup so far. -Corinthians are the winners of the inaugural FIFA Club Word Cup title in 2000. -Corinthians have conceded just four goals in 14 games en route to winning the Copa Libertadores, while Ahli shipped in 13 in 14 CAF Champions League games this term. -Corinthians manager Tite is one year younger than his Ahli counterpart Hossam Al-Badri, yet the Brazilian landed his first job as a head coach 19 years earlier than the Reds boss. -Fabio Santos, Danilo and Emerson are three members of the Corinthians squad who have played in Japan before, with the latter winning the J. League top-scorer award in 2004. -Apart from their experience in Japan, Fabio Santos and Danilo already have a Club World Cup gold medal, having been part of the Sao Paolo team that won the title in 2005. QUOTES Ahli coach Hossam Al-Badri "We really had many problems inside Egypt but a very important fact remains that, despite all the problems that exist in our country, Ahli were able to become African champions and come here. “This is a reason for us to be proud. We are the champions and it is important to go out and play with that mentality, that we are champions. “We will play against Corinthians with an attacking mentality because we will go for a win." Corinthians coach Tite “A characteristic of any successful team is balance between defense and attack. With this balance, the possibility of winning is greater. “I don't think that history determine who the favorites are. What decides that is the strength of each team over the 90 minutes of the game. “A team's experience does have an impact, and so does the quality of the players. We know our strengths, but I still don't believe we're favorites." TEAM NEWS Ahli were rocked by the serious injury of skipper Hossam Ghaly in the win over Hiroshima and the midfield star is the Reds only absentee. Al-Badri has yet to announce who will replace his captain, with youngsters Rami Rabiea and Shehab Ahmed tipped for the role. The experienced Mohamed Abou-Treika could be handed a start after scoring the winner against Hiroshima. On the other hand, Corinthians were boosted by the recovery of their star striker Paolo Guerrero from a knee injury as the Peruvian is set to lead the frontline. Goalkeeper Cassio has been struggling with a shoulder problem but said he is ready for the game, although not 100% fit. PLAYERS TO WATCH Ahli: Full-back Ahmed Fathi constantly proves he is the Reds' MVP and the Egypt international will have to be at his best to overcome the Brazilian threat. Corinthians: Peru striker Paolo Guerrero is a proven goalscorer who may well cause some problems to the Ahli defense.
