Qatar’s Al Sadd will be looking to drive home their 2-0 first leg advantage against Korea’s Suwon Bluewings when the two former Asian champions square up in the return leg of the AFC Champions League semi-finals in Doha today. The match at the Sheikh Jassem Bin Hamad stadium starts at 7pm.
Al Sadd, aiming for a first continental title since lifting the Asian Club Championships in 1988, will be without two of their attacking players for today’s clash. Ivory Coast international Abdul Kader Keita and Senegalese striker Mamadou Niang both were sent off in the ill-tempered match at the Suwon World Cup stadium last week.
Al Sadd will also be missing Mesaad al-Hamad, who has been ruled out for a month after the midfielder suffered a broken nose during the melee in Suwon. And the hosts are sweating on team captain Wisam Rizik after being kicked during the brawl.
Fossati admitted missing so many good players for a match would make it tough on his team but the Uruguayan is confident Al Sadd’s team spirit will help them prevail over their rivals in front of boisterous home crowd.
“Any team which have come this far deserves respect. We respect Suwon,” said Fossati. But having broken Suwon’s unbeaten record in the championships this season, he sent out a clear warning to the rival camp.
“Tomorrow will be a very tough game, not only for us but also for them,” said Fossati, who is coaching a team in the AFC Champions League semi-finals for the second consecutive season. He led Saudi Arabia’s Al Shabab to the last four in 2010 but the Riyadh club were eliminated on away goals by eventual winners Seongnam Ilhwa of Korea after winning 4-3 at home and losing 1-0 away.
“We know a couple of our key players won’t be playing,” Al Sadd midfielder Hassan al-Haydos added. “But it still is 11 against 11 and we will play together as a team with one clear objective: to reach the final, representing Qatari football.”
Abdulla Koni, who was suspended for the first leg, is set to return for today’s match, with fellow defender Mohammed Kasola also making full recovery since being struck down by flu.
On the other hand, Suwon despite facing a tough task of turning around the 2-0 deficit, are looking at today’s encounter with a lot of positives.
“It was something which shouldn’t have happened. We have put what happened last week behind us,” said Suwon head coach Yoon Sung-hyo. “I hope tomorrow’s game passes off without any incident. We have come here very well prepared. I hope we can play well and qualify for the final.”
The Koreans will have to do that without experienced Macedonian striker Stevica Ristic, who was also suspended for today following his involvement in last week’s fighting.
But Suwon, who the last two editions in 2001 and 2002 prior to the inception of the AFC Champions League, are counting on their strong show on the road. They have not lost an away match, winning two and drawing others in four matches in the continental tournament this season.
“In the quarterfinal we tied at home and then won away and that experience of winning away when we need to will help us,” recalled Yoon, who is likely to field Ha Tae-gyun in place of Ristic. “We will miss Ristic but Ha has been more dangerous in Asia than he has at home,” said Yoon, referring to Ha’s exploits in the AFC Champions League this season with six goals. “We know we have to score and we have the firepower to do so.”
Suwon captain Yeom Gi-hoon believes they can overturn the deficit against the hosts. “It’s a difficult match tomorrow for us after we lost 2-0 at home where we wasted several chances for goals,” said 28-year-old midfielder. “But we will play tomorrow’s match regarding it as our most important match this year."
