Ahli assistant coach Alaa Maihoub said the 1-0 victory over Ghazl Mahalla comes as a morale-booster ahead of the team's Club World Cup campaign. The Red Devils snatched a hard-fought win over a resolute Mahalla side on Thursday, one day before flying to Japan to take part in the World Cup. "We needed that victory before traveling to Japan," Maihoub told the post-match press conference. "It will lift the team's morale ahead of the anticipated tournament." Ahli needed a last-gasp Mohamed Barakat goal to break down Mahalla's packed defense. "My team were unlucky today. We should have won by a larger margin but we wasted a host of goalscoring opportunities." "The players followed the technical staff's instructions in the second half to lay siege to Mahalla's area and make the breakthrough." African champions Ahli begin their World Cup campaign against Pachuca of Mexico on December 13th.