Al Ittihad captain Karim Benzema has sent a stern warning to Percy Tau's Al Ahly ahead of their clash with the Egyptian giants.
The Saudi Arabian giants are set to take on the 11-time CAF Champions League winners in the second round of the FIFA Club World Cup on Friday, and although the French star admitted that a difficult challenge is expected, he has insisted his side is "ready to fight until the end".
Read: Benzema sets sensational new Club World Cup record
Ittihad are fresh off of a 3-0 victory over New Zealand's Auckland City that saw them advance to the next round of the knockout tournament, with Benzema having been among the goalscorers in that match.
With the Saudi Pro League side is preparing to face the team that was crowned Club of the Year at the 2023 CAF Awards on Monday, the former Real Madrid star said that they are treating every match at the showpiece as a final.
"As for the next match, we will see what happens. The match will be very difficult because all the teams want to win the championship, but we are ready to fight until the end," he said, per Yallakora.
"We know very well that it will be a difficult match for us, but we consider every match as a final.
"I am happy that we have a wonderful audience and they motivate us, and this is a good thing. We have become better than before.
"Al Ittihad is a good team and we want to appear confident in every match, and this is what we did in the Auckland City match."
Al Ahly, meanwhile, will be hoping to be boosted by the three accolades they collected at CAF's most recent awards ceremony.
Read: PICTURES: Ahly stars celebrate Tau's big CAF award win
In addition to being selected as the Club of the Year, the side's star attacker Tau walked away as the Men's Interclub Player of the Year, while Egypt star Mahmoud Kahraba won the Goal of the Year prize.
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