Alkass English
Qatar Stars League champions Al Sadd and Amir Cup winners Al Gharafa begin their AFC Champions League Elite journeys today with challenging away fixtures as they aim to make strong starts on the continental stage.
Al Sadd, winners of the 2011 edition and quarter-finalists last season, will take on Iraq’s Al Shorta at Al-Zawraa Stadium in Baghdad at 9:15pm. Felix Sanchez’s men have endured a rocky domestic campaign so far, losing two of their four QSL games, including a shock defeat to Al Shahania last Friday. Despite the struggles, Sanchez remains upbeat. “Our situation in the QSL is not good, but that has no connection to the continental match. We have players capable of making a difference, and we hope the game against Al Shorta will be a good start for Al Sadd,” he said.
Al Sadd’s squad features big names such as Akram Afif, Roberto Firmino, Rafa Mujica and Boualem Khoukhi, with Sanchez highlighting the increased difficulty of the revamped tournament. “The new format has made the AFC Champions League stronger. We’ve studied Al Shorta closely and prepared an appropriate plan,” he added. This will be the first meeting between the two clubs, with Al Shorta yet to begin their domestic season after exiting in the group stage last year.
Earlier in the evening, Al Gharafa face a tricky test against Sharjah FC, last season’s AFC Champions League Two winners, with kick-off at 4:45pm. Pedro Martins’ side head into the tie in confident mood after a 2-0 QSL victory over Al Sailiya on Friday, giving them three wins from their opening four league matches. Building on last season’s Amir Cup success, Martins hopes for a better continental run after a disappointing group-stage finish last year. “Our goal is to seriously compete for a qualification spot and maintain high-level performances to advance,” he said.
Tunisian star Ferjani Sassi echoed his coach’s determination, insisting, “We want to return with a positive result, and I believe we are fully prepared to deliver a performance that meets the fans’ aspirations.” Al Gharafa will rely heavily on Yacine Brahimi and Joselu, while Sharjah are expected to push hard with home advantage at their Sharjah Stadium.
Meanwhile, Al Duhail enter the fray tomorrow with arguably the toughest assignment of the Qatari clubs—an away clash against Saudi giants Al Hilal in Riyadh, following their qualification through a playoff victory over Sepahan of Iran.