Al Duhail suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Egypt’s Al Ahly in the second round of the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar on Thursday, but defender Mehdi Benatia believes the team gained valuable experience. In a match where Al Ahly claimed a first half lead through Hussein El Shahat’s effort, Al Duhail bounced back stronger in the second half, but fine defending by the African champions saw them holding on for the win. 
Benatia, 33, admitted Al Duhail’s first half performance was not up to mark but said the reigning Qatar Stars League champions have already shifted their focus towards the fifth-place play-off against Ulsan Hyundai, who lost 2-1 to Tigres UANL.
“We gained exceptional experience from this match, although we did not succeed in achieving victory,” said Benatia. “We weren’t good in the first half, but better in the second half and showed our true level. It is difficult to lose this way because we made a mistake in the first goal, but we are now looking at the next match. We have to fight and show the same performance as we did in the second half. We need to have confidence and we need to respect the coach’s plan.”
Almoez Ali was called in to replace Bassam al-Rawi in the second half to turn the tide, but the 24-year-old striker was left disappointed as he failed to find the back of the net. “We tried to equalise in the second half after the coaching staff made some changes, but the team did not succeed in scoring despite our clear possession of the ball,” said Ali.
“We played at home with our fans, and we could have appeared with a stronger attack and a more controlling way, but we lost. We returned to our true level in the second half, but we did not succeed in finding the equaliser, and I must congratulate Al Ahly and wish them success in their next match.”
Al Duhail head coach Sabri Lamouchi lamented the difference between the two teams’ experience, but promised his side will be better equipped for the tie against 2020 AFC Champions League winners Ulsan Hyundai. “It was a great honour for me and the players to participate in the first match in this important tournament,” Lamouchi said. 
“In such matches, the fine details are what makes the difference, but despite the loss, the team gained experience and we will try to change some things. Al Duhail lacked experience and we could have made the difference with experience, and we will work hard to achieve victory in our next match against Ulsan Hyundai.”
The Frenchman said Duhail played better in the second half, but paid the price for a poor first half. “We were cautious in the first half and did not take the necessary risk. In the second half we went all out in attack and the performance of the players improved. We created more than one opportunity, but could not score a goal. Unfortunately, we lost by solitary goal but I do not blame the players and in the second half we played well,” he said.
Meanwhile, Al Ahly manager Pitso Mosimane was delighted with his team’s win over Duhail. “We faced a tough opponent. They have a lot of great players, but we managed to achieve our goal and win the match,” the South African said.
“I hoped that the team would continue with the same performance as the first half. However, in the end we achieved our target and won the game. Moreover in the last ten minutes of the game, Duhail created several chances but we managed to deal with their pressure in the best possible manner,” he added.
Mosimane praised Congo striker Walter Bwalya, who was brilliant in the match as he setup El Shahat for lone goal of the match. “Bwalya played very well today. He put in a lot of effort in the first half that is why I took him off the pitch in the second half. We will learn from our mistakes in today’s game ahead of our upcoming match against Bayern Munich. We will have to be very concentrated and prepare well for the game,” he added.