Tonight, all eyes will turn to the Ahmed Bin Ali World Cup Stadium, where Al Rayyan will open its AFC Champions League 2 campaign against Al-Faisaly of Jordan, in a match that begins at 9:15 p.m., as part of the third group competitions that brings together Saudi Arabia and Al-Nahda of Oman.
Al-Raheeb enters the confrontation in search of an ideal start in the continental championship, relying on the morale boost it received after its recent victory over Al-Ahly in the Doha Bank Stars League, a victory that kept the team in second place with 10 points collected from four matches.
Spanish coach Vicente Moreno has many cards capable of making a difference, especially on the front line, in light of the brilliance of Brazilian Roger Guedes, the team’s top scorer, along with Ahmed Alaeddin, Andre Amaro, Otavio Montero, Diego Amaro and Gregorian Favero. Despite the absence of Mitrovic, who has not participated with the team since the beginning of the season, Al Rayyan enters the match with confidence in the available alternatives, after the elements on the roster presented good levels during the last period, so that the main goal is to obtain a positive result that gives the team an advantage in the match. The beginning of his journey in the group. On the other hand, Al-Faisaly hopes to achieve a positive result at the beginning of the journey with its Egyptian coach, Tariq Mustafa. Al-Faisaly occupies third place with 4 points in the Jordanian League from two matches, and is counting on a number of names to provide a good performance during the match.
Al Rayyan’s bets in tonight’s match are not limited to what happens inside the green rectangle, as the team hopes to obtain large crowd support from the stands of Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium.
The club had offered tickets for the match, and urged its fans to attend and support the players in the team’s first steps in the Asian Championship, in light of the importance of public support in such confrontations.
Al-Raheeb hopes that the stadium stands will turn into an additional source of strength, and that the public presence will contribute to giving the players the motivation required to achieve victory, and that starting the continental journey with three points will put the team in a good position before completing the group competitions.
Vicente Moreno: We have to be at our best
Al Rayyan coach Vicente Moreno confirmed the team’s readiness to face Al-Faisaly of Jordan in the opening of the two teams’ campaign in the AFC Champions League 2. He said during the press conference held on the sidelines of this match: We are very much looking forward to playing today against Al-Faisaly in the AFC Champions League 2. We know that we will face a good team and a very difficult match, but we will play at home and we want to ensure victory in our first match.
He added: The previous results give us great confidence to play a good match. This is very important for us, but our focus at this moment is only on today’s match. The previous matches are over, and at this moment we know that we only have to think about today’s match.
Regarding the difference in levels between the league and the AFC Champions League 2, he said: It is a different tournament, and we are ready to play in the league, ready to play in the Qatar Cup, and ready to play against Al-Faisaly in the Champions League. But it is true, sometimes I do not know exactly the level of the opponent because they play in a different league, and we will enter today’s match without knowing their exact level, and this is difficult for us. But I repeat, we are ready, and we respect the opponent a lot, and I have great confidence in my players, and I told them that if we want to win, we must be at our best.
Tariq Mustafa: We enter the meeting with great ambitions
Tariq Mustafa, coach of the Jordanian Al-Faisaly club, confirmed that his team enters the match against Al-Rayyan with great ambitions during the match that will be held tonight at the Ahmed Bin Ali World Cup Stadium, stressing the players’ desire to achieve victory and make the fans happy. Mustafa said: “We have a great desire to win and make our fans happy, and we know very well the value of the match and the strength of the opponent. We prepared well during the last period, and the players have great focus and enthusiasm to give their best on the field. We trust in our abilities and strive to implement our ideas and appear in a way that befits the name of Al-Faisaly.” He added: “We need to focus and remain calm throughout the match, and take advantage of the opportunities that will be available to us. I hope that success will be our side and we will come out with a positive result that will please our fans.”
De Sart: A difficult confrontation
Julien De Sart stressed the necessity of achieving victory against Al-Faisaly of Jordan in the AFC Champions League 2, and said during the press conference: We expect a difficult match. We know that we have to give our best in every match to have a chance of winning. As the coach mentioned, we enter this tournament with great ambition. It is an honor for us to play in the AFC Champions League 2, and we will take the tournament one game at a time and look forward to reaching the furthest possible point.
Regarding De Sart’s participation with the team, he said: This is football. I think that in your career you will go through periods of injuries or being on the bench and you just have to adapt to the circumstances. I feel better all the time, and the more I play the better I feel. So if the coach needs me, I’m ready, and if I’m on the bench, that’s football. No matter how long I play, I will try to give my best in training and in matches, and I repeat, this is part of your journey as a footballer, and as I said, I am ready for any number of minutes I will play, whether 10 minutes or 90 minutes, I will give my best and the rest will come.