Arabian Gulf League holders Al Ain have learned their opponents for the 2018 Club World Cup’s kick-off after Team Wellington booked a first-ever berth in the global competition with victory in the OFC Champions League.
The amateur side followed up their 6-0 demolition job in last week’s first leg at home to Fiji’s Lautoka with an exciting 4-3 win at Churchill Park on Sunday morning, to claim a 10-3 aggregate triumph and a debut continental crown. This win provides an unprecedented showcase after New Zealand-rivals Auckland City won the previous seven editions.
Team Welly will now start the seven-team tournament, featuring six continental champions and host outfit, with a winner-takes-all qualifier against the Boss at Al Ain’s Hazza bin Zayed Stadium on December 12.
The victor from that eliminator will face either Africa’s CAF champions or the winners of Asia’s AFC Champions League in the quarter-finals.
“I’m delighted, we’re still absorbing everything but after a season of tremendous hard work, to finally clinch the big one is a tremendous feeling,” said Team Wellington coach Jose Manuel Figueira.
In 2017, host side Al Jazira managed to make it all the way to a tense semi-final against European kings Real Madrid. They took the lead through Romarinho but were denied a memorable result by second-half goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale as Los Blancos triumphed 2-1.
North and Central America’s CONCACAF champions Guadalajara are the other team to have already qualified. Either Madrid or Liverpool will join them next Saturday.
