Inter Milan lift Club World Cup

Abu Dhabi: Italian champions Inter Milan produced a master class to stave off the threat to European supremacy at club level football though African champions TP Mazembe went down fighting 3-0 in the Fifa Club World Cup final at the Zayed Sports City stadium on Saturday evening.

Mazembe, who had scalped Concacaf club champions Pachuca from Mexico and the fancied FC Internacional from Brazil en route to the final, saw their Desert Safari end at the hands of the powerful Milan giants, who made it four-in-a-row for European Clubs in this annual Club World Cup.

Goals from Goran Pandev (13th minute) and Samuel Etoo (17th) in the first half were complemented by another strike in the 85th minute by Jonathan Biabiany helped the favourites to a comfortable win.

Inter Milan and South American champions FC Internacional, playing before them in the match for third place, showed African and Asian clubs respectively, that the gap is still wide between the traditional powerhouses and the pretenders.

After Internacional outclassed Asian champions Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma 4-2 to finish third, the organisers lit up the night skies with a spectacular 10-minute show which was sleek and colourful before Inter Milan and Mazembe lined up for the Fifa Club World Cup and the US$ five million winner's purse.

Though there was not a single Italian in Inter's starting XI that comprised eight South Americans and Etoo from Cameroon, their experience and guile proved too good for the Congolese club. In fact it was two quick goals in the space six minutes which virtually killed the dreams of the African continent to take a giant step in world football.

Etoo found Pandev inside the box and the striker from Macedonia, made up for Wesley Sneidjer's absence by beating Muteba Kidiaba in the Mazembe goal.

Five minutes later a combined move which was initiated by Esteban Cambiasso saw skipper Javier Zanetti run down the right flank and square the ball back. Pandev's failed attempt found the ball rolling to Etoo and the former Barcelona striker angled one to the left corner, giving no chance to Kidiaba.

However the Mazembe keeper did well to thwart Argentine striker Diego Milito twice to keep Inter in check while Mazembe's created their best chance just before the break when Dioko Kaluyituka shot into defender Cordoba from close range.

After the break it looked like Inter relaxed a bit and with the 10,000-plus Internacional supporters backing Mazembe, the African put together a few threatening moves.

Skipper Kazembe Mihayo fired one just wide off the mark and then Brazilian international goalkeeper Julio Cesar was kept busy with attempts by Kaluyituka and Mulota Kabangu.

After Kidiaba came up with another brilliant save off Etoo it was the Inter goal which again came under threat with efforts from Kabangu and the hard working Kaluyituka.

But with five minutes left substitute Jonathan Biabiany latched on to a long pass and then rounded Kidiaba to complete a memorable Club World Cup triumph for Inter Milan and save coach Rafael Benitez from being fired.