File Photo: Al-Ittihad players celebrates after a scoring a goal during the match Cs Sfaxien. Photo courtesy of Al-Ittihad.
The Saudi side secured their place in the quarter-finals with a convincing 3-0 win over Auckland City of New Zealand in the first round on Tuesday.
Brazilian midfielder Igor Coronado acknowledged that the win over Auckland was not an easy feat.
"The win over Auckland was certainly not easy," Brazilian midfielder Igor Coronado told Saudi newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat.
"It was our first match in the tournament, and there were understandably some nerves in the early minutes. However, we managed to overcome them well."
"We will see what our coach has in mind for preparing for Ahly," he said.
"They are a formidable team, and we must give our all to succeed."
Defender HassanKadesh echoed Coronado's quotes and emphasized ttihad's goal of winning the Club World Cup and making history for Saudi football. "We are aiming to go as far as possible in the competition and hope it marks a new beginning for the team," Kadesh said.
Kadesh emphasized the team's meticulous preparations for the upcoming match.
"We are preparing for the Ahly game with utmost seriousness," he stated.
"Facing Ahly is no different than any other match; we won't have any special preparations."
"We respect all our opponents, and this victory exemplifies that,"
"We are the ones who determine the difficulty of a match. By scoring early, we controlled the game and secured the win."
Ittihad Jeddah holds an undefeated record against Ahly, having won three matches and drawn one in their previous encounters.
Kadesh expressed his hope that their dominance over the Egyptian club will continue, and they will advance to the next round.
"Inshallah, the Tigers' superiority continues against Ahly," he concluded
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