Al Wahda trounce Hekari United in Club World Cup opener

Abu Dhabi: UAE League champions Al Wahda got off to a perfect start in the 7th Fifa Club World Cup with a 3-0 win over Hekari United from Papua New Guinea at the Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium here on Wednesday night.

Brazilians Henrique Hugo and Fernando Baiano scored first half goals before substitute Abdul Rahim Juma rounded off the tally in the 71st minute of the second half.

After a slick but classy opening ceremony which was followed by Fifa President Sepp Blatter being introduced to the two teams, it was the Oceania Group champions who started off on a purposeful note.

Fast on the ball and some bodily tackles emboldened the Hekari United players to penetrate into the Wahda box but their initial thrust only got them a couple of flag kicks.

Al Wahda’s Austrian coach Josef Hickersberger opted for the experienced Fahad Masaoud on the right and the short-statured star more than made up for Henrique Hugo’s lack-lustre start. Most of the Al Wahda moves emanated from the right but Alvin Singh, the Fiji defender drafted in to boost the Oceania champions, nipped most of those moves. Hekari also cleverly kept moving up in a bid to employ the offside trap but they just could not deny the strong UAE league champions.

After two attempts by Baiano was saved by Hekari custodian Simione Tamanisau, fellow Brazilian Magrao saw two of his headers fly over the bar. And just when it looked the first half could end in a stalemate Wahda drew first blood.

Fahad Masaoud moved up and floated the ball to the left where Mahmoud Khamis deflected it on to the path of Hugo. The tall Brazilian let fly a screamer and the 23,000-strong fans were up on their feet cheering their local heroes.

The opening goal came in the 40th minute and four minutes later Masaoud was again the architect when he cut in on the right and fed Baiano with a superb forward pass. The big Brazilian was on target though Tamanisau could have done better to stop the ball at the near post.

Sitting pretty with a 2-0 lead, Al Wahda now looked a better side and Hickersberger decided to rest Masaoud 12 minutes after the break and brought on Abdul Rahim Juma, out of action for a long period due to an injury. And soon enough the UAE national team skipper helped himself with a goal when he headed his team’s third goal. The loose ball came off defender Koriak Upaiga when he tried to clear a cross from Hugo and the fairy-tale run of the Papua New Guinea team was coming to an end.

Abdul Rahim could have added another but he shot wide while at the other end it took all 80 minutes before the crowd got a glimpse of the fisherman-turned-footballer Kema Jack’s prowess. The three-time Golden Boot award winner in the PNG league waltzed his way past two defender and shot on the run but Adel Al Hosani under the Al Wahda goal dived to keep the ball out.

Al Wahda could have added another goal but substitute Modibi Diarra missed twice and soon the final whistle signaled the end of Hekari United’s 90-minute endeavour at the highest level of club football.

For Al Wahda and the UAE fans, the ghost of a miserable display by Al Ahli in last year’s Fifa Club World Cup was buried and the hopes of Al Wahda getting past Asian champions Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma from Korea to make it to the semis will be the next mission. The quarter-finals will take place on Saturday.