Al Duhail will have to forget their QNB Stars League defeat to Al Wakrah as they look to turn a new page when they square off with Emirati 2019 champions Sharjah in a Group C AFC Champions League match today.
It’s going to be an intriguing battle between the league champions of Qatar and the UAE, but Al Duhail with three points from two matches are much better-placed than their rivals who are at the bottom of the group with just one.
Having joined Al Duhail midway through the 2019-20 season, former Moroccan international defender Walid Regragui has already won his first honour at the club, clinching the QNB Stars League title, but the 44-year-old believes his side will need to show different qualities to go far in the AFC Champions League.
“We had a lot of injuries especially after the restart, but we won the league despite those injuries and I have faith in every member of the squad,” said Regragui.
“To play every three days and go all the way to the final, you have to have that fighting spirit. I believe the winner this year will not be the best team, but the one with the most fighting spirit and I always tell that to my players.
“We still have a lot of confidence as league champions and we will carry that through into the AFC Champions League. We have to forget the last game and focus on Sharjah.”
Sharjah have not played competitive football since the UAE Pro League grounded to a halt back in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but coach Abdulaziz al-Anbari knows his side have ground to make if they are to stand a chance of reaching the knockout stages for the first time since 2004.
“We did not start well as we had absences for key players including Igor Coronado, but now we have everyone on board. Our only problem is the long stoppage, but we worked hard and are ready to put in a performance befitting the name of our club and UAE football,” said the former Sharjah playmaker.
“The Group is difficult but so are other groups. All teams in the AFC Champions League are strong. We showed our inexperience in the first two games as we had not played in the competition for a really long time, but with the second game we started to gain some confidence and we hope we are now in a place to show ourselves in a different way.”
Sharjah have never faced Qatari opponents in the AFC Champions League and are without a win in four matches, having last defeated Al Hilal 5-2 in the 2004 group stage.
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