Al Gharafa players take part in a training session in Sharjah yesterday.
Doha, Qatar: Qatar Stars League (QSL) champions Al Sadd and Amir Cup winners Al Gharafa will kick off their AFC Champions League (ACL) Elite campaigns today, eyeing wins in their respective away matches.
The 2011 champions Al Sadd, who reached the quarter-finals of the revamped tournament last season, will take on Iraq’s Al Shorta at Al-Zawraa Stadium in Baghdad, with the game set to start at 9:15pm.
Led by coach Felix Sanchez, Al Sadd’s domestic season has not started on a high note, as they have lost two of their four matches in their QSL title defence.
They are coming off a shock defeat against Al Shahania on Friday, but Sanchez is hopeful his team will do well in the match.
Al Sadd's Paulo Otavio (right) trains with teammates in Baghdad.
"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," the Al Sadd coach said.
Al Sadd’s lineup boasts several stars, including Akram Afif, Roberto Firmino, Rafa Mujica and Boualem Khoukhi.
"The new format of the AFC Champions League has made the tournament stronger. I hope the players are in top form. Al Shorta is a good team that has signed new players. We’ve been monitoring them closely and our technical staff has developed an appropriate plan for the match."
This will be Al Sadd’s first-ever meeting with Al Shorta, who are yet to begin their domestic season. The Iraqi side was eliminated in the group stage of the competition last year.
Al Gharafa confident ahead of Sharjah FC clash
Pedro Martins’ Al Gharafa, who defeated Al Sailiya 2-0 in QSL action on Friday, have had a relatively positive start to their domestic campaign with three wins from four matches.
They will face hosts Sharjah FC, who clinched the AFC Champions League Two title last season.
Martins, who guided the team to their coveted Amir Cup triumph, will be aiming for a stronger continental showing this year after Al Gharafa finished 10th in the group stage last season.
“Our goal is to seriously compete for a qualification spot and maintain high-level performances to advance to the next round,” the Al Gharafa coach said at a pre-match press conference yesterday.
Tunisian midfielder Ferjani Sassi said, “We want to return with a positive result, and I believe we are fully prepared to deliver a performance that meets the fans' aspirations and leads us to victory.”
Al Gharafa will hope for strong performances from Yacine Brahimi and Joselu against Sharjah, who will be banking on home advantage at Sharjah Stadium. The match will kick off at 4:45pm.
Meanwhile, another Qatari side, Al Duhail, will begin their AFC Champions League campaign tomorrow with a tough away game against Al Hilal in Riyadh. Al Duhail qualified for the group stage after defeating Iran’s Sepahan in the preliminary round last month.
