Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema scored the winning goal as he made his debut for Saudi Champions Al-Ittihad in their 2-1 win over Tunisian side Esperance in the Arab Club Champions Cup.

After netting an angled shot from outside the box in the second half on Thursday, the Frenchman told the Saudi SSC television channel: "It was a strong match and a good start after hard work in preparation.

"Little by little we will build a great team."

Benzema, who joined Al-Ittihad as a free agent after a trophy-laden 14 years at Real Madrid, went to greet the cheering fans with his new teammate and compatriot N'golo Kante.

"The atmosphere is amazing and the fans motivated the team from the first minute until the end," he added.

"We are in good shape and we will continue to work to reach the required level, and we know that with this support we can achieve great things, thanks to the fans."