Bahrain's Al Khaldiya are ready to step up to the challenge as they enter the knockout stage of the AFC Champions League (ACL) Two this evening, says their head coach Ali Ashoor.
The two-time reigning Nasser Bin Hamad Bahrain Premier League champions face off with Tractor FC of Iran today in the first-leg of their exciting match-up in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) competition.
The game is scheduled for a 5pm kick-off at the National Stadium in Riffa.
Speaking ahead of the contest, Ashoor highlighted that his team is built for such high-intensity games and they are eager to continue their impressive 2024-25 season, in which the ACL Two is only one of a handful of trophies they are aiming to lift.
“We are Al Khaldiya Club – we have 26 great players, all are professionals, either locals or foreigners – and they have great experience,” Ashoor told the GDN yesterday. “They are used to playing in these kinds of competitions.
“Just a few days ago, we played in the league and had a very difficult game. Before that, we played Muharraq and Riffa in the Khalid bin Hamad Cup, and we won it.
“We have experienced players with more than 50 or 60 international games, so we are used to playing big matches and we will try to use our experience to get a positive result.
“We know that since we are in this competition and have reached this stage, even the other team have to look at us.”
Ashoor noted that they are expecting a tough test in this evening’s opening leg against Tractor, who are the current leaders of the 2024-25 Persian Gulf Pro League – the top men’s professional football division in Iran.
“We know it will be a difficult match, but we have the confidence and we have the belief that we are going to play a great game,” Ashoor said.
“We know our opponents are at the top of the table in their league. They have a lot of great players, an experienced coach from Croatia, and we know that the match will not be easy for us, but we know we are going to be focused and give 100 per cent or even 200 per cent to get a positive result.”
The second leg between Khaldiya and Tractor is scheduled for Tuesday next week at Yadegar-E-Imam Stadium in the Iranian city of Tabriz.
The victors will move on to the ACL Two quarter-finals, which are scheduled for March. The semi-finals will be held in April before the tournament culminates in a single-game final on May 17.
The ACL Two is the second-tier club competition of the AFC. Rebranded from the AFC Cup, it is one level below the AFC Champions League Elite and one above the AFC Challenge League.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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