Sultan Al Ali (Dubai)
Today, Shabab Al Ahli will cut the ribbon for the new era of Asian championships through the AFC Champions League play-off for the elite, by facing Sepahan of Iran away in Iran in the preliminary round. Fans of the “Knights” and Emirati football hope that the national representative will pass this confrontation in pursuit of the next round.
Sepahan’s conditions do not seem ideal, which is in the interest of Shabab Al-Ahli in the upcoming match, as Sepahan is missing three of the team’s main defensive cores.
This is due to the suspension and disciplinary sanctions carried over from the previous edition, as defender Siyavosh Yazdani is absent due to receiving a red card against Al-Hilal during the second leg of the round of 16, which entails a one-match suspension, but he did not serve it due to being eliminated from the tournament. As for his teammate, Mohammad Dashangar, he also received a red card against Al-Hilal, but in the first leg, and a disciplinary sanction was added to it due to the use of violence, so the suspension became two matches, one of which he served in the second leg against Al-Hilal and one was carried over to the current edition. The third player is Hadi Mohammadi, who was sent off in the group stage match against Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, and was disciplined, so the total number of matches he must miss is 4 matches. He served the sanction in 3 matches, and the last one remains against Shabab Al-Ahli.
These three players represent the main pillars of the Iranian club’s defence, which will struggle to cover their absence, as it also misses its top scorer, Shahriar, who moved to Kalba Club this summer.
Fans of the “Knights” and Emirati football are waiting for Shabab Al Ahli to qualify to face Al Gharafa of Qatar in the decisive round qualifying for the AFC Champions League elite stage, so that the Knights will join Al Ain and Al Wasl in representing the nation in the continental event.
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