Vissel Kobe coach Michael Skibbe dey happy say him team go face strong opponent when dem meet Al-Sadd for Asian Champions League quarter-final on Thursday.
Kobe, wey win Japanese title for 2023 and 2024, never win Asian title before. Dem go face Qatari club Al-Sadd wey just eliminate four-time champions Al Hilal from Saudi Arabia through penalty shootout on Monday.
“This go be very strong opponent, Al Sadd, as we don see two days before,” Skibbe talk. “I think this go be very interesting match for us.”
Skibbe wey dey him first season as Kobe coach after four years with Sanfrecce Hiroshima say from eastern Asia, e no too easy to find competitive teams because around dem na Japanese league, Korean league and sometimes teams from China.
“But in between get far distance from western part of Asia, so we dey very happy, after long journey, to dey here to show wetin nice match we fit play tomorrow,” Skibbe add.
Kobe and Al-Sadd na among eight teams wey remain for Jeddah for centralised finals series of the competition. Quarter-finals, semi-finals and final go all play for the port city on Saudi Arabia Red Sea coast.
Skibbe dey hopeful to field him strongest side wey go include former Japan international strikers Yuya Osako and Yoshinori Muto.
For Al-Sadd side, manager Roberto Mancini dey focused on making sure him players recover from the hard win over Al Hilal.
Al-Sadd fight back to equalise three times during regulation time for the last-16 meeting on Monday before dem win 4-2 on penalties to eliminate Simone Inzaghi-coached outfit.
“We hope to recover very well from the last game,” Mancini talk. “E be very, very hard. We play 120 minutes. E no easy, but we hope to recover very well. I think e go be very good game, we dey play good team with good players.”
Saudi Arabian clubs don dey expect to dominate the competition after recent influx of highly paid foreign talent from Europe top leagues, but Al-Sadd manage to see off Al Hilal side wey feature players like Karim Benzema and Ruben Neves.
Defending champions Al Ahli na one of two Saudi clubs wey remain for the competition. Dem go face Malaysia Johor Darul Ta'zim on Friday.
For same Friday, fellow Jeddah-based side Al Ittihad go take on Machida Zelvia, the second remaining Japanese team.
Shabab Al-Ahli from United Arab Emirates go play Thailand Buriram United for the fourth and final quarter-final on Saturday.
Semi-finals go hold on Monday and Tuesday, while the final go play on April 25th.
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