AGADIR, Morocco — Raja Casablanca, representing host nation Morocco, needed a stoppage-time goal from Abdelilah Hafidi to beat part-timers Auckland City 2-1 in the preliminary round match at the Club World Cup Wednesday. The game was heading for extra time until Mohamed Oulhaj's header was saved by Tamati Williams and fell to the feet of Hafidi who tapped in the rebound to send the Agadir Stadium into delirium. Raja, which fired coach Mohamed Fakhir and replaced him with Tunisian Faouzi Benzarti last week, qualified as the champion of the host nation while Auckland was representing the Oceania confederation. The home team went ahead when Mouhssine Iajour slotted a left-foot shot into the far corner six minutes before halftime. Mohsine Moutaouali curled a shot against the post early in the second half before a defensive blunder allowed Auckland to grab a shock equalizer and silenced the stadium just after the hour. Two Raja defenders collided, leaving Fijian Roy Krishna an easy chance to score the equalizer past Khalid Askri. Hafidi spared Raja's blushes with his last-gasp goal to set up a quarterfinal tie against Mexican side Monterrey, the champion of CONCACAF, Saturday. The winner goes on to meet South American champion Atletico Mineiro, which has a bye to the semifinal. European champion Bayern Munich, which also has a bye to the semis, is runaway favorite to win the tournament. Formerly known as the Intercontinental Cup, the Club World Cup is being played in Africa for the first time. Corinthians beat Chelsea 1-0 to lift the title last year. — Reuters
