Shabab Al-Ahly and Al-Wahda knock on the door of “Asia’s elite”

Shabab Al-Ahly and Al-Wahda, representing the UAE in the AFC Champions League Elite Football Championship, will play the 16th round matches, which will be held today in the Saudi city of Jeddah, against the Iranian Traktor team and the Saudi Jeddah Ittihad team.

The winner of the two matches qualifies directly to the quarter-finals, to continue the tournament in the same place, until reaching the final match scheduled for the 25th of this month, while the loser will bid farewell to the tournament according to the amendments made by the AFC after it canceled the (home and away) system as a result of the situation in the region.

The draw placed the two teams on the same track, which opens the door to an all-Emirati confrontation in the semi-finals, if Al-Wahda and Shabab Al-Ahly succeed in getting past the round of 16 and the quarter-finals, a scenario that gives Emirati football a guaranteed chance to be in the continental final.

The Shabab Al-Ahly team will play a fateful confrontation against Iranian Tractor at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, at 6:45 pm UAE time, in a playoff match during which the “Knights” seek to advance to the quarter-finals and continue their continental journey.

Shabab Al-Ahly enters the match clinging to its last hopes this season as it seeks to save its season with a continental championship, after its recent loss to Al-Ain at the top of the professional league, which widened the gap with the lead to four points four rounds before the end, in addition to its exit from several tournaments this season, which increases the importance of the upcoming confrontation.

The team delegation left for Jeddah two days before the match as part of intensive preparation for this challenge, especially since the match is held in a single-match format, which requires a high focus from the beginning to avoid any surprises.

The two teams had met in the group stage, and their confrontation ended in a 1-1 draw, before Tractor finished the stage in third place with 17 points, while Shabab Al-Ahly finished in sixth place with 11 points, but the nature of the elimination rounds differs greatly from the group calculations.

Shabab Al-Ahly has a relative advantage in terms of technical readiness, despite the pressure of matches, as it played a strong confrontation a few days ago, which gives it a high level of competitiveness, unlike the Iranian team, which has not played official matches since last February 26, which may affect its readiness.

The Knights rely on their continental experiences and their desire to restore balance, especially in light of their possession of elements capable of resolving major confrontations, at a time when Tractor seeks to continue its strong results and confirm its presence in the tournament.

The new system puts the two teams before a real test, as there is no room for compensation, as Shabab Al-Ahly faces, if it qualifies, the Thai team Buriram United in the quarter-finals, which gives the team additional motivation to achieve victory and continue the journey towards the title.

Union – unity

The Saudi Al-Ittihad and Al-Wahda teams are entering a real test, due to the similar circumstances of the two teams in the Asian Championship and the local league this season, but Al-Wahda defeated Al-Ittihad 2-1 when they met in the group stage of the Asian Championship.

Al-Wahda is playing the match in an unstable situation, after falling in the professional league standings to fifth place, as it has missed victories in the league in the last four rounds, specifically since round 18 in which it won over Ajman 2-0, then lost to Bani Yas and Al-Ain with the same score 0-1, then tied with Al-Nasr and Kalba with the same score also 2-2.

But “The Excellencies” did well in the group stage of the Asian Championship after they qualified for the round of 16 in fifth place with 14 points, compared to 15 points for the Saudi team, which finished fourth.

Al-Ittihad also ranks sixth in the Saudi League with 45 points, a significant difference from Al-Nasr, the leader, with 73 points.

Jeddah Union coach, Portuguese Sergio Conceicao, confirmed in the press conference before the match that the team is suffering from significant absences due to the injuries of Saleh Al-Shehri and Mohamedou Doumbia, which limits its options, but at the same time he expressed his great confidence in the available elements.

Conceição praised the quality of Al-Wahda’s players, but confirmed that Al-Ittihad possesses offensive weapons with the presence of Moussa Diaby, whom he described as the best playmaker, and Houssem Aouar, the tournament’s top scorer, in addition to winger Steven Bergwijn, stressing that these names are capable of making a difference.