Adelaide United captain Travis Dodd said that he was impressed by Ahli attacker Hussein Yasser when the two teams met in the Club World Cup on Thursday.

The Australians secured the competition's fifth place, after a goal from Brazilian striker Cristiano in the sixth minute was enough to beat Ahli.

"He [Yasser] was Ahli's best player. He's got great talent, speed and an amazing ability to control the ball," Dodd said after the game.

The 28-year-old, who missed the game due to an injury, confirmed that his team deserved the win.

"We were the better side in the first half. In the second, we dropped the pace because Ahli pressured us, but we did well to defend our lead.

"It was a cat vs. mouse game. Each team defended and waited for the other to react, and we won because we took advantage of the chances we had."

When asked who was the best players out of the two teams, Dodd responded "No one, because i wasn't playing."