Club World Cup marks transformation in football as Africa bears record of two finalists

Club World Cup marks transformation in football as Africa bears record  of two finalists

The new-look Club World Cup is a considerable change from the previous editions of the tournament, with 32 teams and a month-long festival of football, than the previous seven sides and only a week of action in the past.

Having the tournament was introduced by FIFA in 2000, a call to the Club World Championship with the name changed to the Club World Cup six years later, many clubs on the African continent have played in each tournament since the first in Brazil in 2000, when Morocco’s Raja Casablanca represented the continent.

Meanwhile, a club from Lubumbashi, owned by Katanga Province governor Moise Katumbi, was the first from outside of Europe or South America to reach the final.

They served their potential by beating Mexican heavyweights Pachuca in the second round, after which goalkeeper "Robert Kidiaba" earned worldwide coverage with his celebrations, bouncing around the pitch on his behind.

In the semifinal, "Patou Kabangu" and "Alain Kaluyituka" scored as they eliminated Brazil’s Internacional, whose fans had travelled to Abu Dhabi en masse expecting a repeat of Japan 2006, when they vanquished Ronaldinho and Barcelona to lift the trophy.

Mazembe had other ideas and got to the deciding match against Inter Milan. The Italians, with Samuel Eto’o in their ranks, became the first Italian side to collect five major trophies in a single calendar year as they brushed aside the Congolese club in the final.