Confirmed: Bayern Munich will face Egyptian giants Al Ahly in the Club World Cup

With their win over Qatari champions Al-Duhail, Egyptian giants Al Ahly have secured the right to face Bayern Munich in the FIFA Club World Cup semi-finals. As winners of the CAF Champions League, this game will pit the best team in Africa versus the best team in Europe.

The player who put them in the final, Hussein El Shahat, said before the game that he’d love to meet Thomas Muller in the semis. Well, thanks to his solitary goal, he’ll get his wish.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the bracket, South American champions Palmeiras face Mexican giants Tigres in what should be a mouthwatering semi-final clash for the neutral. Hopefully, Bayern play their best football against Al Ahly and go on to meet the champion of the Americas in the final.

While the Club World Cup doesn’t carry the same prestige as the UEFA Champions League, for Bayern Munich, this is a chance to equal Barcelona’s record of winning every single possible trophy in a single season — a feat achieved by Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona all the way back in 2009. Bayern fell short of the mark in 2013 by losing in the DFL Supercup, so this is the perfect chance to make amends.

Some may argue that it’s not a perfect sextuple, since it won’t be won in a single calendar year, but the scheduling chaos caused by the coronavirus pandemic delayed the 2020 CWC to 2021. Bayern can hardly be blamed for that. It’s still the same feat as the one Barcelona got, so it should count as a regular sextuple.

For Robert Lewandowski, who will be playing his first ever Club World Cup, this is a chance to continue his scoring records in a brand new competition. Let’s hope he is as prolific on the international stage as he is in Europe. For the rest of the team, it’s another trophy up for grabs. After all the success in 2020, winning the Club World Cup and officially becoming the best team in the world would cement this team in history. Let’s get it done.