Dreams returned to the Egyptian Al-Ahly fans, to participate in the Club World Cup for the third season in a row, despite not winning the African Champions League title.
and lost Al-Ahly nickname African Champions League For the 2021-2022 season, following the defeat with two unanswered goals against Moroccan Wydad Casablanca, who snatched the qualification card to the Club World Cup.
The International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) has not yet set a date or venue for the next edition of the Club World Cup, which has sparked controversy over the possibility of canceling it.
Will Morocco host the Club World Cup?
Various press reports stated that the championship may be held in the UAE or Qatar in early February or next March.
However, the Egyptian journalist, Ahmed Schubert, the former Al-Ahly goalkeeper, detonated a heavy-caliber surprise, after he confirmed that the next tournament might be held in Morocco.
Schubert said on his radio program: “There are rumors that Morocco will host the next edition of the Club World Cup.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Pl57TBJV58
Will Al-Ahly participate in the Club World Cup?
He explained: “In this case, Al-Ahly will participate in the competition as runner-up in the African Champions League, because the FIFA Club World Cup regulations prevent the participation of two teams from one country.”
The Egyptian media speculated that holding the tournament in Morocco would make Wydad participate as host and champion of the continent, and then its runner-up would participate in the African Champions League, Al-Ahly, in light of the ban on the participation of two clubs from one country in the World Cup.
What do the regulations say about Al-Ahly’s participation in the Club World Cup?
Returning to the FIFA regulations, it was found that two clubs from one country may not participate in the Club World Cup.
FIFA regulations say in this regard: “No two clubs from the same association should participate in the Club World Cup.”
And she adds: “If the champion of the host continent is a team belonging to the (local) association organizing the Club World Cup, the champion of the last season of the league affiliated to the (local) hosting association is replaced by the second-best team in the hosting continent’s competition, which does not belong to the host association.”
This means that if the champion of the continental championship is from the same country hosting the tournament, then the league champion or runner-up in the host country does not participate, but this seat goes to the runner-up of the continental championship, so that two teams from the same country, which is Al-Ahly in that case, do not participate. .
Two precedents support Al-Ahly’s participation in the Club World Cup
This regulation was applied in the 2007 and 2008 Club World Cups, which were hosted by Japan, where the Iranian Sepahan Isfahan and Australian Adelaide United teams participated as runners-up in the AFC Champions League, in the same two years that witnessed the crowning of the Japanese Kashima Antlers and Gamba Osaka teams with the continental title.
It is noteworthy that the next edition of the World Cup will witness the participation of Real Madrid (European Champion), Moroccan Wydad (African Champion), American Seattle Sounders (North American Champion), Brazilian Flamengo (South American Champion), and New Zealand’s Auckland City (Oceanian Champion), while The Asian champion has not yet been decided.