Benzarti praises ´extremely talented´ Raja Casablanca

Raja Casablanca head coach Faouzi Benzarti believes his side deserve to be in FIFA Club World Cup final after stunning Brazil’s Atletico Mineiro.

The Moroccan side shocked an Atletico Mineiro outfit containing Ronaldinho 3-1, with two late goals sealing victory.

Benzarti’s team will now meet European champions Bayern Munich in the tournament final, but the coach was adamant that the result would not be a formality.

“I have believed in my team since the start of the tournament because they’re extremely talented,” Benzarti said.

“It’s no accident that we’re in the final – it’s the product of hard work.

“Bayern is a fantastic team who won three titles last season, and in Pep Guardiola they have a great coach who has already embedded his football philosophy in the team.

“But we’ll go into the final with confidence too, believe in ourselves and give our all once more.”

Atletico Mineiro coach Cuca felt sorry for the team’s travelling supporters and admitted his side was caught out gunning for victory.

“We threw everything forward at the end and got caught by a decisive counter-attack,” Cuca said.

“Raja played with assurance and put in a strong performance, particularly with their quick counter-attacking.

“We have to accept this defeat and apologise to our fans, who we have disappointed after they made this long journey to support us.”