Football

Lewandowski relishing Ahly FIFA Club World Cup test

Bayern Munich’s Polish forward Robert Lewandowski reacts during the UEFA Champions League group A football match Bayern Munich v Salzburg in Munich, southern Germany on November 25, 2020. (Photo by CHRISTOF STACHE / AFP)


Robert Lewandowski is looking forward to Monday’s FIFA Club World Cup semifinal against African champions, Al Ahly.
The European champions will face the Egyptian side at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan in their first game of this year’s competition which was originally scheduled to be held in December 2020.
Lewandowski who will be playing at the FIFA Club World Cup for the very first time wants to claim success at the tournament with Bayern.
“It will be really special for us, not only for me,” the Polish attacker told FIFA’s official website. “It’s the best team in Europe playing against the best teams from other continents. It will be, for us, a new challenge. We want to win this title, for sure.
“It will be nothing new for us. We play a lot of games in our national teams against teams from all around the world. It will be special, but we are ready for this. We’re ready to try and win the next title.
“We’ve won everything that we could have won in 2020. This is the last title we can win. We know we’re playing against the best teams from continents all over the world. It’s our next challenge and we’re ready for it.”
Lewandowski then took the time to discuss the prospect of facing Ahly in the semifinal. 
The Egyptians defeated Qatari club, Al-Duhail 1-0 in the quarter final with Hussein Ali El Shahat netting the winner on 30 minutes at the Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan on February 4.
The Bayern number nine said there will be no case of underrating the African champions as the European champions will not let their guard drop.
“If you’re here at this competition, it means you’re a strong team,” Lewandowski added. “But it doesn’t matter how good they are, we have to be better. We have to fight for this win, push from the first minute, play our best football and then we have the chance to beat them.
“”I think if we win this Club World Cup it would complete one of the biggest historical achievements in all of football. We know we are so close, but we have to stay 100-per-cent concentrated. It would be really special.”
Lewandowski then concluded by reflecting on winning ‘The Best’ award awarded for FIFA’s number one male footballer in the world.
“In the first moments you don’t realise exactly what it means, but over the next days and weeks you realise that you’ve won maybe the most important title in your life. It was amazing. But I know it was because of what we won as a team.
“For years I’ve been hearing that this is the best Lewandowski. It doesn’t matter how old I am. I can still get better, improve my skills. But I know that I’m feeling good. I try to be the best Lewandowski every season.”

Sammy Wejinya

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