Air Force Club coach Ali Mohsin has concerns over the condition of his team and his hoping they can notch up a win over Al Wahda in Group C of the 2016 AFC Cup on Wednesday as the Iraqis eye a place in the next round of the continental club competition.
Mohsin’s side are two points clear of second placed Al Oruba from Oman, but with Air Force Club having lost three games in a row – once in the AFC Cup and twice in the league – the coach is worried.
“We are not playing in the best condition. We are currently in a transitional period and we have not been having good results recently,” said Mohsin, whose side lost 2-1 to Al Talaba in the Iraqi league on Thursday. “However, we will try our best to overcome these conditions and win the match.
“We want to make a good comeback after losing the previous match and winning tomorrow will get us closer to the knockout stage. The match tomorrow is important and we have to get the three points in order to remain on top of the group.”
Air Force lost 5-2 to Al Wahda when the teams met on Matchday Three (pictured) and, with the Syrians having played one game fewer, the outcome of the group remains in doubt.
“We achieved a big victory in the previous match against Air Force but the match tomorrow is totally different. We need to continue winning if we want to maintain our chances in the competition,” said Al Wahda coach Raefat Mohammad.
“Air Force lost their latest match in the local league but they are still a strong team and we should not underestimate them. The match will be open for the two teams but hopefully we can get a victory tomorrow.”
Palestine’s Al Dharia, meanwhile, host Al Oruba knowing a win will pull them back into the battle for a place in the Round of 16.
Abdulfattah Arar’s team lost in the Palestinian league against Markaz Balata on Friday and have picked up just one point from the two games they have played in the AFC Cup so far this season.
“Our match against Al Oruba is important and will not be easy especially because we will be missing some of our key players, like Abdalhalim Morjan who scored our goals in the previous match against Al Oruba and is out injured,” said Arar.
“However, we will try our best to win and maintain our chances in the group although we have only one point. We had different results in the local league and the match tomorrow should be our chance to improve our results.”
Al Oruba sit in second place on four points from three matches and coach Martin Koopman is looking for an improvement on the draw his side registered with Al Dharia on Matchday Three.
“We want to have a better result than the one we had in the previous match at home,” said the Dutch coach. “We need to get a positive result tomorrow if we want to remain in contention as we only have four points from three matches.
“We should not underestimate our opponents because they are a good team and they have talented players tactically and physically. Our players are determined to win the match despite the weather conditions and the fact that we will be playing on artificial turf.”
Photo: Lagardère Sports
Source: the-afc.com