ABU DHABI: African champion TP Mazembe reached the semifinals of the Club World Cup with a scrappy 1-0 win over Pachuca of Mexico Friday from Mbeza Bedi's first-half goal. Bedi found the net in the 21st minute at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi to put the Congo team through to a match against Internacional of Brazil Tuesday. “Each time you pass a peak, the mountain becomes higher,” Mazembe's Senegalese coach Lamine N'Diaye told the post-match news conference. “So, to use a cycling term, this was a first category col. Now we're going to attack a major climb,” he said. “They are a dimension above,” he added of Internacional, winners of South America's Libertadores Cup and favorites to reach a final against Inter Milan. Mulota Kabangu flicked a pass to the onrushing Bedi, who smashed it into the net to reward Mazembe for its dominance. Mazembe's Stoppila Sunzu was sent off after receiving a second yellow card in the 81st. Last year, Mazembe lost to Pohang Steelers in the quarterfinals. The tournament's other semifinal will see European champion Inter Milan against either Al-Wahda of the UAE or Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma of South Korea who meet Saturday. Pachuca's Argentine coach Pablo Marini said his team had dominated for at least an hour but failed to put away their many chances. Asked if the result was a ‘disaster' for Pachuca, Marini said: “Obviously, yes. We knew about Mazembe's strengths but we didn't expect to lose. I think the way the match went, we shouldn't have lost. But, unfortunately, we made a mistake with the goal and did not have the calm to put away our chances.”
