Bahrain's Al Khaldiya are upbeat ahead of their second-leg clash against Tractor FC of Iran this evening in the round of 16 of the 2024-25 AFC Champions League (ACL) Two.
The two-time defending Nasser Bin Hamad Bahrain Premier League champions head into the away contest with their backs against the wall – facing a 1-2 deficit following their opening-leg loss last week in the kingdom.
But Khaldiya head coach Ali Ashoor remains positive and is confident in his players’ ability to rise to the occasion against their heavily favoured opponents.
“We are very excited, we have a great game plan for tomorrow and inshaallah we will do it,” Ashoor told the GDN yesterday by telephone from the Iranian city of Tabriz.
The game will be played at Yadegar-E-Imam Stadium and it is scheduled for a 5pm kick-off, Bahrain time.
“The most important part for us is that we show our mental toughness – to deal with the weather conditions since it is very cold here, it is minus-one,” Coach Ashoor added.
“I hope the players can adapt to this but I don’t think it is a big issue. They are used to playing in this environment and I hope they can do their best.
“At the same time, we have to be very smart and play a smart game because they will pressure us. But our players are experienced. “We are very excited, and I feel very good about the match. The team has very positive vibes and I hope we can qualify from Tabriz, inshaallah.”
Ashoor praised and thanked the hosts for the warm welcome they have received since arriving in Iran on Sunday.
“We are very happy to reach here,” he said. “The hospitality was very nice, from the airport, to the hotel, and to our training pitch.”
As part of the pre-match formalities, Ashoor and Khaldiya’s Bahrain international defender Sayed Mahdi Baqer spoke with media yesterday in a Press conference held in Tabriz. The official technical meeting also took place between match officials and representatives from both Khaldiya and Tractor, where it was confirmed that the Bahrainis will wear their black kits and the Iranians will be in their red uniforms.
In Khaldiya’s opening-leg defeat at the National Stadium in Riffa last week, Mohammed Al Rumaihi scored the game’s opening goal for the home side but then Tractor’s Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh and Croatian Domagoj Drozdek were on target to give the Iranians the win and the all-important two away goals.
The winners of this round-of-16 affair will move on to the quarter-finals to face the victors of the other head-to-head between Al Wakrah of Qatar and Al Taawoun of Saudi Arabia. Wakrah and Taawoun played to a 2-2 draw in their first leg contest in Doha, and will next lock horns tomorrow in the Saudi city of Buraidah.
Following this phase, games in the quarters are scheduled to be held next month while the semi-finals will take place in April. Both rounds will be held over two legs. The ACL Two then culminates in a single-game final on May 17.
The ACL Two is the second-tier club competition of the Asian Football Confederation (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
Top stories for today:
Europeans talk up more defence spending as Ukraine plan divides
212 traders pledge to keep Ramadan prices stable
Medical team congratulated on landmark success
&uuid=(email))