(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Lekhwiya coach Djamel Belmadi was in upbeat mood after his side managed to hold Persepolis to a goalless draw in the first leg of their 2017 AFC Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday.
Playing at an empty Azadi Stadium in Tehran, Lekhwiya maintained their grip on the game despite Persepolis fielding a strong side.
The return game will be played at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on May 30.
'I am satisfied with the draw (in Tehran) as it was a tough game away from home. Now we play at home,' Belmadi said.
'It was a tough game as expected,' Belmadi added.
'I think any side could have won the game as there were good moves but then the game remained as a goalless affair,' he said.
'Now we look at the return clash in Doha. As far as I am concerned, the task is still there for us. It is a tough task. We have to go for the win. We tried to win the first leg. We must win (the second leg) and qualify. There is no other alternative,' the Algerian said.
'Playing at home doesn't make our job easy as the other side also can qualify. It will be a tough and difficult game for us, but we will strive to give our best to win and qualify,' he warned.
Mehdi Taremi's second-half penalty miss ensured Persepolis and Lekhwiya will go into the second-leg of the 2017 AFC Champions League Round of 16 with it all to play for after the sides ended scoreless in the first-leg on Tuesday.
The tournament's leading marksman Taremi headed over early on for the hosts before Luiz Junior's fizzing effort from distance struck the post on 15 minutes in a first-half of few chances at Azadi Stadium.
Mohsen Mosalman fired wide from just inside the box shortly after the restart as Persepolis sought to gain the upper hand while Nam Tae-hee's curling effort was well tipped over by Alireza Beiranvand as the hour approached.
But with 10 minutes remaining the home side were given the perfect opportunity to win it when Ali Afif nudged Taremi in the penalty area, only for the forward to see his spot kick pushed away by Qasem Burhan.
The custodian then made arguably an even better save when he got down low to deny Vahid Amiri from close range with four minutes to play to leave the tie finely balanced ahead of next week's return fixture.
Lekhwiya's striker Nam Tae Hee said: 'It was a tough game for both teams and in the ended the game was a draw. They are a strong side with good players. So to return with a point is good for us. We have every chance to win at home.'
'We will be playing to win when we enter the field in Doha. That's the best way to qualify for the next stage of this important event,' the South Korean said.
Lekhwiya's Mohammed Musa said: 'We entered the game feeling we could win but I would say we were a little unlucky in Tehran.'
He added: 'The game was not easy. We know them to be a strong side with quality players. I would applaud the performances of our goalkeeper Qasem Burhan. He was really brave today. '
'We still have another match to go. This time we will be playing on home soil. We want to qualify for the quarter-finals,' Musa said.
MENAFN2405201700630000ID1095510394
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.