MARRAKECH: Real Madrid will open their bid to regain the FIFA Club World Cup on Tuesday in Marrakech rather than Rabat because of the weather.

Morocco’s staging of major football events continued an ill-fate star after torrential rain in Rabat made a mockery of the quarter-final in which Mexico’s Cruz Azul’s beat Western Sydney Wanderers of Australia 3-1 agfter extra time on Saturday night.

The north African state refused to go ahead with its scheduled hosting of the African Nations Cup in January and February because of concerns over the ebola health crisis.

European champions Madrid will now play Mexico’s Cruz Azul at the Stade de Marrakech in the opening semi-final on Tuesday with the same venue hosting the next day’s semi between South American champions San Lorenzo of Argentina and Oceania’s Auckland City of New Zealand.

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