It is rare for The View from Fez to report on football. It is even rarer for us to report a story that involves Morocco, Algeria and New Zealand. However, it is rarest of all that a small New Zealand football club makes the world news.
The FIFA Club World Cup run of Auckland City has turned into something of a fairytale after they unexpectedly defeated Moroccan Club Moghreb Tetouan last Wednesday - a result that saw the Moroccan side's coach getting sacked. Then came today's shock defeat of Algerian champions ES Setif in Rabat.
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| Auckland City celebrate as the fairytale continues |
The New Zealand part-timers, who qualified for the tournament as Oceania champions are making a record sixth appearance. The world tournament pits the champions of each FIFA confederation against each other, to find the best club team in the world, and Auckland - the champions of Oceania and the only non-professionals - were widely expected just to make up the numbers.
However, New Zealand John Irving's goal in the second-half not only secured a win over Algerian side but also (for the first time) a place in the Club World Cup semi-finals on Saturday.
Auckland will now have four days to find their feet, and apply for more leave from their day-jobs, before they tackle the South American champions on Thursday morning when they face Argentina's San Lorenzo, the Copa Libertadores champions, in Marrakesh.
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