File Photo: Ahly coach Marcel Koller. Photo courtesy of CAF website.
The Cairo giants have been drawn in Group A alongside Brazil's Palmeiras, Portugal's FC Porto, and Major League Soccer side Inter Miami.
"Our group in the FIFA Club World Cup is very exciting, especially with the presence of Lionel Messi," Koller said in a video published on FIFA's X account on Tuesday.
The Club World Cup has adopted an expanded format this year and its inaugural edition is scheduled for 14 June to 13 July this year and will be played in 11 cities across the United States.
"We will treat the opening match as an away game, as American fans are expected to support Inter Miami," Koller added. "I expect our players are also excited and will do their best to get a result."
"Porto and Palmeiras are big teams in Portugal and Brazil, so these are exciting games for me and the players," he said.
Ahly kicks off its campaign against Inter Miami on 14 June at 8:00 PM Cairo time (GMT +2) at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Their second game, against Palmeiras, is on 19 June at MetLife Stadium, also at 8:00 PM Cairo time (GMT+2).
The third match against Porto will be held on 23 June at 9:00 PM Cairo time (GMT+2) at MetLife Stadium.
"We will play against big teams and will try our best. It's clear that we want to win, but our opponents also want to do that. I expect it will be interesting," the Swiss coach concluded.
The top two teams from each of the tournament's eight groups will progress to the round of 16.
The new 32-team format marks a significant change from the previous seven-team structure.
The Club World Cup will now be held every four years, mirroring the FIFA World Cup for national teams.
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