Riyadh: Al Hilal captain Osama Hawsawi has said he believes East Asia’s stranglehold in the AFC Champions League is set to end ahead of Saturday’s first leg of the final against Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds.
Since the inaugural 2002-03 tournament, clubs from the East have been crowned Asian champions 10 times while those from the West have claimed four continental titles, with the last of the latter coming in 2011 when Qatar’s Al Sadd defeated Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors of Korea Republic.
Nevertheless, Saudi Arabia defender Hawsawi feels the continental showpiece is a fitting stage to see the tables turned.
“In the past, East Asia teams had the upper hand, but now there is a power shift and teams from the West are doing better,” said the 33-year-old.
“For example, in World Cup qualifying we faced both Australia and Japan and we qualified ahead of the former and defeated the latter.
“There are strong teams in both East and West, of course, but it should be noted that two teams from the West qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.”
Winning the AFC Champions League title would, of course, not just be a victory for West Asia but, importantly, for a club that has long prided itself on being one of Asia’s giants.
Riyadh heavyweights Al Hilal are the only side to have won the Asian Club Championship (1991, 1999-2000), the Asian Super Cup (1997, 2000) and the Asian Cup Winners Cup (1996-97, 2001-02).
With six Asian trophies in their cabinet, it can be argued that – in terms of continental titles – Al Hilal are the most successful thus far. However, there is still one key piece of silverware missing: the AFC Champions League.
“We are determined to lift this trophy,” said Hawsawi. “We reached the final because we worked hard and are intent on reaching this goal.
“We will do our best in the final as we have done so far this tournament. We showed good performances under coach [Ramon] Diaz last season and we have built on that so far this campaign.
“The first leg of the final will be a decisive one, especially with the support of our fans. We will play the first leg at home, so we need to make the most out of it.
“We will travel a long distance for the second leg and we may be tired. I’m sure coach Diaz will implement the right tactics for each leg.
“If we can get a good result here, it will certainly make our job easier in Japan.”
Photos: Lagardère Sports
Source: the-afc.com