As the 10 day long FIFA Club World Cup tournament in Abu Dhabi reaches a climax on Saturday night, local football fans already have cause for celebration as a UAE team has made it to the finals.
Al Ain FC beat South American club River Plate in a nail-biting penalty shout out. After taking a surprise lead on 3 minutes, Al Ain were then 2-1 down with just around a quarter of an hour played but pulled it back to 2-2 early into the second half and maintained their composure during the remainder of the match, which ended at the scores level. In a tense penalty shout out, Al Ain scored all 5 of their penalties with the result being decided by a save by Al Ain and UAE National Team keeper Khalid Essa, saving from River Plate’s Enzo Perez.
The final is on Saturday 22 December at Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi where Al Ain FC will face the winner of the second semi final, either Asian League Champions from Japan Kashima Antlers, or European stars Real Madrid, who are aiming for their third FIFA Club World Cup title in succession and their fourth overall.