French striker Karim Benzema, who plays for Al-Ittihad Club, joined the team's group training today, Thursday, ahead of the highly anticipated match against Al-Shabab in the quarterfinals of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup.

Al-Ittihad is preparing to face Al-Shabab next Saturday at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, in a match where the team aims to advance to the semi-final stage of the tournament.

The Saudi newspaper "Al-Riyadiyah" revealed that Benzema participated in the group training session after having limited himself to training in the gym on Wednesday, confirming his full readiness to lead Al-Ittihad's attack against Al-Shabab.

Benzema is considered one of the key offensive players for Al-Ittihad, with the coaching staff relying on him to lead the team in this crucial match, amid the fans' hopes for an outstanding performance that will help the "Tigers" advance to the next round.