FIFA pin faith on new-look championship

FIFA have pinned their faith on this month's revamped Club World Championship after the embarrassing collapse of the tournament's forerunner.

The six-team competition begins at the weekend but is unlikely to heat up until English club Liverpool and Brazil's Sao Paulo join the fray at the semi-final stage.

Liverpool's mindset could prove key to the tournament's success as the champions of Europe will have already played 29 matches this season before flying to the Far East.

Rafael Benitez's side play Middlesbrough at Anfield on Saturday before flying to Japan to play either Sydney FC or Costa Rica's Deportivo Saprissa on December 15.

FIFA staged the first world club championship five years ago in Brazil but pulled the plug on the competition in 2001 after the collapse of marketing partner ISMM/ISL.

The risk of player burn-out before next year's World Cup in Germany is a real one for Liverpool's players, whose season began against tiny Welsh club Total Network Solutions in July.

However, it would be a major embarrassment for FIFA if Liverpool and Brazil's Sao Paulo do not meet in a showpiece Club World Championship final in Yokohama on December 18.

Sao Paulo's squad arrived in Tokyo on Wednesday to acclimatise before facing the winners of Sunday's curtain raiser between Egypt's Al Ahly and Saudi club Al Ittihad.

The South American champions were mobbed by Brazilian fans upon arrival causing brief panic for airport security.

HAPPY HUNTING GROUND

Japan has proved a happy hunting ground for Sao Paulo, who won the World Club Cup -- the tournament's forerunner, involving the champions of Europe and South America -- in 1992 and 1993.

Liverpool were beaten 3-0 by Brazil's Flamengo in 1981 and 1-0 by Argentina's Independiente in 1984. Liverpool and Sao Paulo are there to be shot at in Japan.

Al Ahly could provide a shock as they look to extend a remarkable 55-match unbeaten run stretching back to July 2004.

"We have a secret formula," said Al Ahly's Portuguese coach Manuel Jose. "We play a 3-4-3 system and we will take the game to every team we play. We fear nobody."

The Cairo-based club began the mind games before Sunday's game with Al Ittihad, accusing the Asian champions of including unregistered players in their squad.

Ittihad denied the charge -- and had a cheeky dig back at the Egyptian club.

"It's part of the game," chuckled Ittihad's Romanian coach Anghel Iordanescu. "It's just psychological. Give me a chance to beat Ahly, then let's talk about Sao Paulo."

Sydney FC arrived in Japan with Australia still buzzing after qualifying for the World Cup for only the second time.

The icy Japanese weather has provided a sharp shock to several teams but Sydney coach Pierre Littbarski denied it would be a factor for the A-League side.

"Our style of game is very high-tempo so it won't be a problem," said the German, who finished his playing career in Japan.

"We have improved a lot in a short time. We're going into the tournament playing well and we're ready for Saprissa."