Auckland City FC and Mazembe battle for pride in Fifa Club World Cup

Abu Dhabi: In a battle for pride, African champions T. P Mazembe take on Oceania champions Auckland City FC in the play-off for 5th place in the Fifa Club World Cup on Wednesday.

Fans, who have bought tickets for the Barcelona-Atlante semifinal clash later in the night would do well to come early for the Mazembe-Auckland encounter which could turn out to be a highly-entertaining encounter.

With New Zealand's soccer stocks gaining by the day, Auckland have already done their bit after ousting UAE league champions Al Ahli.

Standings

However, with some of their players on the fringe of selection for the 2010 World Cup — and to better their standing in the world's premier club champions — Auckland FC will be a determined lot.

"We've been focusing on this final match ever since the referee blew for full time in the last one. I'm expecting Mazembe to be tough opponents," Ivan Vicelich, who helped New Zealand qualify for next year's World Cup, told fifa.com.

"We'll have to put in a good performance if we want to beat the Africans. We will be preparing intensively for the match, and once it's under way we'll give 100 per cent and hopefully manage our second win here in Abu Dhabi," he said.

While the Kiwis will be looking to impress their national selectors, the Africans from the Republic of Congo will be looking to impress scouts as a few of them nurse ambitions of plying their skills in Europe and elsewhere.

Impressive in their ball skills but a bit jaded in fitness and discipline, Mazembe will also be aware that they represent a continent which prides its status in world football.

Skipper Mabi Mputu along with their goalkeeper Mutebe Kidiaba impressed against the Koreans. Mputu made use of the huge gaps that they allowed, setting up his teammates.

"We did play well and took the lead. But we made some mistakes and lost the match against Pohang. Now we will be playing to make our supporters and our country proud," Mputu said.