'They were a little stronger' - Al Ahly's Pitso after Palmeiras defeat at Club World Cup

Al Ahly head coach Pitso Mosimane admits that his charges came up short in terms of quality following their 2-0 defeat against Palmeiras in the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final.

Goals from Raphael Veiga and Dudu on either side of half-time were enough to secure a final spot for the Brazilian giants.

Much like last years edition of the Club World Cup, Al Ahly will again compete in the third/fourth place encounter.

"We hoped to be in a better position than last year,” Mosimane said during the post-match press conference.

"We are in the same position that we were at this stage in the semi-final last year, coincidentally the same score [and] that means we need to improve. So, we haven't improved in that sense.

"But what can we do? We played a good team, they have got a little bit of quality, they were a little stronger, a little fresher.

"I mean, the last game they played was on the second (of February), and the last game we played was two or three days ago. So, you could see the difference in intensity."

Palmeiras will face either Al Hilal or Chelsea in the final, with the loser taking on Ahly for the bronze medal.