(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Chinthana Wasala/ The Peninsula
Qatar national champions Al Duhail will be looking to seal a berth in the knockout stage of the AFC Champions League when they face Saudi side Al Taawoun FC in their final match in the Group stage today.
The highly competitive Group C, topped by Al Duhail, sees a race to the knockout stage with just one match to go for each side.
Al Duhail have collected nine points at the top, but only three points separate the Doha giants and the bottom-placed Al Taawoun, meaning it could be a do or die battle to seal a berth in the next round.
However, Al Duhail's Moroccan Coach Walid Regragui has no intention settling for a place other than top spot. Regragui yesterday revealed that finishing the group stage as leaders is his target despite the difficulty of the match which will be played at the Education City Stadium tonight.
'We are waiting for an important confrontation against Al Taawoun Saudi team. The important thing is they are looking for a turnaround from a heavy loss against Sharjah team. Like all of us, Al Taawoun is also playing in a difficult league and we know how strong they are. We cannot underestimate the Saudi team, Regragui said yesterday.
Regragui said that the most important thing is to qualify for the knockouts of the tournament.
'What is important now is the qualification to the next stage of the competition. We will work hard to be in the top place of the group. I am happy with the players' performance during our match against Persepolis after our unfortunate loss against Sharjah. And a victory or draw tomorrow will be a good thing but we will work on achieving victory, he said during a pre-match press conference yesterday.
'Karim Boudiaf and Edmilson's return has strengthened our team. Our team has become stronger after their return. However, we will lose Ramin Rezaian for the match. Since I came to Al Duhail the team has not been able to appear in full strength as player injuries and absences have always been there. But the good thing is that the alternatives are always on time and because of that we have always been able to play good matches, Regragui said.
His counterpart, French coach Patrice Carteron yesterday said that today's match will be like ‘a final.'
'This match will be like a final. We still have hope of qualifying to the next round, but we need to restore our balance after the last defeat, said Carteron said yesterday.
'As a coach you always take the responsibility for wins or defeats, but the next game will also be a test of the players' ability to react well after the defeat. Even if we had won the previous match, we would still have needed to win this one. We hope we can do well and regain our balance by winning here," he added.
The match kicks off at 9.00pm.
MENAFN2409202000630000ID1100849709
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.