Shabab Al-Ahly is counting on Sultan Adel in the absence of Sardar

This evening, Shabab Al-Ahly team will play an important confrontation against Nasaf of Uzbekistan at Rashid Stadium in Dubai, within the third round of the group stage of the AFC Champions League for the Elite, seeking to return to winning ways after its recent draw locally against Ittihad Kalba in the ADNOC Professional League, and to continue its strong performances on the continental level, as Shabab Al-Ahly is counting on its international striker Sultan Adel in this match, to compensate for the absence of the injured Sardar.

“Al-Fursan” has four points on its score after a draw against Uzbek Traktor (1-1), and a valuable victory over Al-Ittihad Al-Ittihad (1-0) in Jeddah, while Nassaf is at the bottom of the group standings without points after losing in the first two rounds, which makes the confrontation an ideal opportunity for Shabab Al-Ahly to strengthen its score and confirm its strong presence in Asia.

Shabab Al-Ahly coach, Portuguese Paulo Sousa, focused in his recent training on correcting the offensive mistakes that appeared in the Kalba match, and working to improve the exploitation of opportunities inside the penalty area, after the team was content with scoring only four goals in the first six rounds of the local league.

Shabab Al-Ahly faced the Uzbek team last season in the AFC Champions League 2, where they lost in the first leg (2-1), before achieving an exciting victory in the second leg (3-2), in a confrontation that confirmed the team’s ability to outperform its Uzbek rival.

Shabab Al-Ahly players realize the importance of winning this round, whether in order to reconcile the fans after the recent local setback, or to enhance the team’s chances of competing for the top spot in the group, benefiting from the ground staff and the audience at Rashid Stadium, which is expected to witness a large public presence to support the “Knights.”

In the attacking line, the team is missing the services of its Iranian international striker, Sardar Azmoun, who suffered a severe ankle injury that will keep him out of the field for up to four months, which is considered an impressive loss for the team at this stage of the season, but the team’s ranks remain full of distinguished players, led by Sultan Adel.

Portuguese coach Sousa gave confidence to striker Sultan Adel in the starting lineup during the last match against Kalba, confirming his conviction in the young player’s potential and his ability to compensate for the absence of Iranian star Sardar. Sultan Adel gave a distinguished performance throughout the match, as demonstrated by his effective movements inside the penalty area and his creation of a number of dangerous opportunities, continuing his advanced level after his remarkable brilliance with the UAE national team and scoring a wonderful goal against Qatar.