Erstwhile Super Eagles striker Odion Ighalo could become the second Nigerian player in history to win the Club World Cup if his Saudi Arabia outfit Al-Hilal pull up the biggest upset in the competition by beating Real Madrid in the final today (Saturday). Al Hilal became the first Saudi Arabia side to reach the final of the FIFA Club World Cup after a stunning 3-2 victory over the Brazilian side Flamengo in the semi-final of the tournament on Tuesday and could be hoping to create further history by attempting to defeat the most successful football club in the world. Ighalo is the fourth Nigerian to play in the final of the competition.

Former Super Eagles players Mikel Obi and Victor Moses were in the Chelsea side that lost in the 2012 final to Corinthians while Obiora Nwankwo was part of the Inter Milan side that won the 2010 edition after beating TP Mazembe of DR Congo. Although the midfielder did not kick a ball in the final. Having surprisingly made it this far, Al-Hilal have nothing to lose when they take on Real Madrid. If Al-Hilal manage an even bigger upset in Morocco’s capital of Rabat on Saturday, it would be another testament to the growing power of soccer outside its traditional strongholds of Europe and South America.

“Football is changing,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “And you can see that by the fact that Al-Hilal is in the final.” Perhaps the only thing speaking in Al-Hilal’s favor in the game is the fact that many of its players know what it is like to pull off the extremely improbable. The team coached by Argentine Ramón Díaz includes several members of the Saudi Arabian national side which stunned Argentina in their World Cup opener in November. Saudi Arabia’s two scorers in that 2-1 win over Argentina, Salem Aldawsari and Saleh Alshehri, play for Al-Hilal. Aldawsari scored twice in Tangier on Tuesday to help secure a 3-2 win over Flamengo, the South American champion.

Just having a team in the final is another boost for Saudi Arabian soccer, after the country flexed its economic muscle to become a bigger global player in the sport. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund bought Newcastle in 2021, and its domestic league recently scored a huge win when Al-Nassr, a rival of Al-Hilal, convinced Cristiano Ronaldo it was time to continue his illustrious career outside Europe.

“Football is more global. It is no longer Europe versus South American,” Ancelotti said. “We’re up against a good team, which have individual qualities and a lot of players in the Saudi national team who did well in the World Cup, and players with a lot of experience in Europe. “We have great respect for them, and they showed their quality by knocking out Flamengo in the semifinals.” Madrid were successful the last five times they played for the club world title following triumphs in the Champions League. They did it in 2014 and from 2016-18 at the FIFA-organized Club World Cup, and also in 2002 in what was called the Intercontinental Cup but can Ighalo and his Al-Hilal gang stop the experienced Madrid team? The question will be answered at the Morocco’s capital of Rabat today. (Saturday Telegraph)

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