Big game experience will be a key factor, believes Al Wehdat coach Raed Assaf, as his side prepare to take on Bahrain’s Al Hidd in their opening encounter in Group A of the 2016 AFC Cup on Tuesday.
The three-time AFC Cup semi-finalists expect national team midfielder Amer Deeb to be available despite a hand injury while Senegalese striker El Hadji Malick Tall (pictured left) will be ready to start having recovered from a recent knock.
“Our opponents have great capabilities and they have good players,” said Assaf, who will be without the services of injured defender Mohammad Al Basha.
“They will create a lot of problems for us but we are a good team and we will be playing at home and in front of our fans.”
“We will go into the match looking to get the three points and we are confident that we can do so because our players have the necessary experience in the competition. Our fans will support us in big numbers as they always do.”
Al Hidd will be making their third appearance in the group stage of the AFC Cup having previous gone as far as the quarter-finals in 2004 before falling at the end of the first phase in last year’s competition.
Salman Shareedah’s team go into the game off the back of a 2-2 draw in their domestic league against Muharraq over a week ago and the former Bahrain national team boss knows the game against Al Wehdat will present a stiff challenge for his side.
“There is no doubt that we will be playing against a well known team in Jordan and they have a big fan base here,” he said. “Jordanian football in general has recently made huge strides and this means that we should expect a tough match.
“The match is important for us because it is the opening match and we are looking forward to getting a positive result, which can help us in the remaining matches in the competition.”
Meanwhile, Turkmenistan’s Altin Asyr will make their debut appearance in the group stage of the AFC Cup when they take on Lebanon’s Al Ahed, with coach Dmitrij Korj stressing his side will not deviate from their own game plan.
“We begin our participation in the AFC Cup tomorrow and I expect very tough game with Al Ahed,” he said. “They have good players who can change the game in any moment and this is why we should be careful during the match.
“We will try to fight in the field in every game and we want to give happiness to our fans. My team will respect our opponents, but we also have our own plans.”
Al Ahed coach Bassem Marmar has set his sights on a place in the quarter-finals for the first time since 2005 as a minimum requirement for the 2016 campaign.
“We want to participate well in the AFC Cup, not just play in the group stage,” he said. “We have a target to qualify for the next round and then play in quarter-finals of the tournament.
“All our players are ready for the match. There is a good spirit and condition in our team.
“We hope to collect three points tomorrow. We know the match will not be easy. Altin Asyr can play good football and they will try to achieve a positive result at home.”
Photo: Lagardere Sports
Source: the-afc.com