Dubai (AFP)
Nearly two decades after winning the AFC Champions League, Al Ain is armed with its strong personality to return to the final, where it will meet Japan's Yokohama Marinos next month, according to what its former star Sultan Rashid says.
Al Ain reached the final at the expense of Saudi Al Hilal in the semi-finals. “It won 4-2 in the first leg at home, then lost 1-2 in the return, strengthening its hopes for a second coronation in its favorite tournament after the 2003 edition. It will compete on May 11 and 25 in the fourth final, after 2003, 2005 and 2016.” .
“Al-Zaeem” gave UAE football its only continental title 21 years ago, by defeating Thailand’s Tero Sasana in the final “2-0.0-1”. He played in the final of the 2005 and 2016 editions against Al-Ittihad Saudi Arabia “1-1.2-4” and Jeonbuk “1”. -2,1-1» respectively.
Sultan Rashid, who was chosen by the AFC as one of the legends of the tournament in 2018, said, “Al Ain always has a strong presence in the AFC Champions League, so its arrival to the Final Four is not a coincidence, and the matter has to do with legacy and history.”
Sultan Rashid (47 years old) is considered one of the most prominent Al Ain players who lived an atmosphere of achievement, after he was among the golden generation that won the title in 2003.
The former player continued: “The current Al Ain squad is capable of repeating the achievement of 2003, and when it qualifies for the final at the expense of two Saudi teams that include international names such as Al-Nasr and Al-Hilal, you have the right to dream of winning the title.”
Al Ain, which has participated in its favorite tournament 17 times since 2003, returned to the AFC Champions League, after missing two editions in a row. It qualified for the semi-finals for the first time since 2016 at the expense of Al Nassr, led by its Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, after defeating it in the first leg 1-0 and then back on penalties 3. -1 after losing in regular and extra time 3-4, and “Al-Zaeem” continued the success by defeating Al-Hilal in the first leg 4-2, after being ahead by three goals in the first 38 minutes.
Rashid believes that “Al Ain’s strong personality is what makes the difference, and any player on the team presents a different level when he competes in the AFC Champions League, so I say that the matter is related to Al Ain’s legacy and history in the continental championship.”
Al Ain played its four matches with Al-Nasr and Al-Hilal, in the absence of its top scorer, Togolese Laba Cudjou, due to injury, and it is credited to its Argentine coach, Hernan Crespo, that he knew how to deal with the influential absence of Alaba, by shifting Moroccan Sofiane Rahimi from the wing to the center of the attack, to succeed in scoring 6 goals out of 9. For his team against the two Saudi teams.
Sultan Rashid stressed that “Crespo’s handling of the recent matches was excellent, and this is in addition to his proficiency in implementing technical plans that are compatible with the strength of Al Hilal and Al Nasr. He played on the psychological aspect and motivated the players in an ideal way, which was evident during his statements.”
He added, “Rahimi and Laba are an important duo for Al Ain, but the latter’s absence due to injury forced a change in the way of playing, and it succeeded against Al Nassr, so Crespo did not want to change it against Al Hilal.”
Sultan Rashid assured the Al Ain players that there is nothing more beautiful than “achieving the Champions League title. I keep the medal for the 2003 title in a special place in my home, and whenever I see it I feel proud and proud.”
#Ain #returns #Champions #final #strength #character