Doha, Qatar: Al Duhail don prepare to face Al Ittihad today, and no be small matter. Dis match hold for Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, and e fit change the whole game for di AFC Champions League (ACL) Elite. Dem don just win their first match of di season with correct 4-1 beat down of Shabab Al Ahli, and now dem dey sit for seventh position with four points. If dem fit win dis one, e go push dem above Al Ittihad and bring dem back into di fight for di Round of 16.
Coach Djamel Belmadi don talk say dis match dey very important. E don clear say dem don don forget di wahala wey dem face against Al Ahli for di Qatar Stars League before. “Our focus now na only di Asian Champions League,” e talk for di pre-match press conference. “Al Ittihad get quality players, so we gatz put in maximum effort to get di result we want.” Na Di true, no go easy as Al Ittihad dey come to Doha with plenty confidence after dem don win two matches back-to-back, including one serious beat down of Sharjah.
As di Saudi side don waka come, dem don suddenly start to score plenty goals, as dem don net seven times for di last two matches. Coach Sergio Conceicao no dey underestimate e side. “We dey play important match against strong, balanced team, so we gatz give our best,” he talk. Even though he say di team no dey under pressure, he no wan make dem slack. “We still get chance to improve our position, and dat na wetin we dey aim for,” he conclude.
Meanwhile, for Dubai, Al Gharafa dey face Shabab Al Ahli, and both teams dey struggle to find form. Shabab Al Ahli recently suffer lose for di hands of Al Duhail, while Al Gharafa also miss road after dem lose to group leaders Al Hilal. E no sweet at all! Despite dem dey shine for di local league, dem never fit carry dat rhythm go for di continental side. Dem only fit secure points when dem defeat Al Shorta 2-0, but na just one victory from dem last six away matches.
Today’s waka to Rashid Stadium na chance for dem to steady di ship. Shabab Al Ahli don get some confidence from di fact say dem don beat Al Gharafa for their last two meetings. If dem fit win today, e go ginger dem to keep fighting for top-eight spot.
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