A top African star has now expressed his delight at the prospect of playing against Lionel Messi at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Just under four months remain before the new 32-team Club World Cup gets underway in the United States from 14 June to 13 July 2025.
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For the first time ever, four CAF representatives will participate in the tournament, namely Mamelodi Sundowns, Espérance de Tunis, Wydad Athletic Club, and Al Ahly.
The latter African side has been drawn in Group A of the competition, alongside host representatives Inter Miami, Portuguese giants FC Porto, and Palmeiras from Brazil.
The opening match of the tournament will take place at the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida, where Al Ahly will lock horns with Inter Miami, who are captained by eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi.
Al Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy has now expressed his pride at the possibility of facing the Argentine football icon.
El-Shenawy told DAZN: "It is a huge thing to play against big stars. I have previously played against Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suárez, so playing against Lionel Messi will also be massive.
"The whole team is proud of this. For us, it is a big deal, and I believe it will be a great match against Inter Miami."
Meanwhile, Al Ahly forward Hussein El Shahat also shared his thoughts on participating in the Club World Cup, adding: "For me, it is a wonderful feeling to take part in the new edition of the Club World Cup.
"I am certainly very happy to represent Al Ahly in the tournament, and we hope to deliver a strong performance to secure a better position in the competition."
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By Lukhanyo Mtuta
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