Barcelona to meet Al Sadd or Esperance in semi-finals

Tunisian outfit Esperance won the right to fly the flag for Africa after beating Wydad Casablanca 1-0 on aggregate in the final of the CAF Champions League, while Al Sadd of Qatar booked their place at the Club World Cup after defeating South Korea's Jeonbuk Motors on penalties in the AFC Champions League final. The other semi-final will be played between Brazilian giants Santos, who beat Penarol in the Copa Libertadores final to qualify, and Monterrey or either Auckland City or the winner of the J.League. The tournament kicks off on December 8 and lasts until December 18. Barcelona's semi-final will take place on December 15 in Yokohama. "Starting this week and continuing every Friday through to January, Goal.com will publish extracts from Graham Hunter's highly-anticipated book, Barca: The Making of the Greatest Team in the World, kicking off with a fascinating segment on Lionel Messi's rise to the top at Camp Nou. Don't miss it!"