Dubai: Al Ahli will be looking to iron out the past mistakes as they target full points to avenge their loss against PFC Lokomotiv, Uzbekistan in their final Group A match of the AFC Champions League on Tuesday. Kick-off will be at 7.50pm at the Rashid Stadium.
The Red Knights conceded in the very first minute and then lost striker Asamoah Gyan to injury as they returned with a 0-2 loss in Tashkent at the end of February.
“We are at a stage where the last game in the group will decide whether we qualify or not. Of course we get an additional option of having either a win or a draw tomorrow. But we want all three points as we had lost in Tahkent and we need to set things right,” Olaroiu told media.
“Under normal circumstances we need to have qualified to the knockouts already, but football is not like this. Not everything goes as per plan. Like in Tashkent we conceded a goal in the first minute and then we lost Asamoah [Gyan] forcing me to make the changes. We are not in the best situation at the moment, but I trust my players to give off their best and help each other on the pitch and get the three points. Our target at the start of the season was to qualify to the next stage. It will not be easy, but we need to sign off by winning the last match,” Olaroiu said.
After five games, Al Ahli and Iran’s Esteghlal are tied at the top with eight points, while by Saudi Arabia’s Al Taawoun and PFC Lokomotiv are with five points giving all four a realistic chance of advancing.
“They have many players and all of them can change the game at will. At this moment, we are going through a tough phase at the club, and we hope everyone comes along and helps us go through this difficult period, merely because these players have worked hard and they deserve to be at least in the knockout phase of the Champions League,” Olaroiu said.
“The focus this time will be that we must not make the same mistakes that we made in the first game [in Tashkent], and that allowed them to score in first minute. Also, we don’t need to run behind them. We have our style of playing and we need to play to our strengths,” the Romanian insisted.
“For me it is simple. It is not complicated at all. It is better to have one option [to win the match] rather than have the additional option of a draw. For me, we need to win tomorrow and qualify at the top of the group,” he added.
“We are going through tough times, but we will rise,” Al Ahli goalkeeper Majid Nasser said.
“We won’t stop as we are concentrated on three points. We play with a spirit of champions, and we need to win the game and lead the group,” he added.
Andrey Miklyaev, PFC Lokomotiv coach, doesn’t want to leave anything to chance as he targets full points. After five games, Al Ahli and Esteghlal are tied at the top with eight points, followed by Al Taawoun and Lokomotiv with five points each, thus making it mathematically possible for all four teams of making it through to the knockouts.
“We have one chance and that is to win this match, while Al Ahli can either win or have a drawn match and they can still make it. We will be looking for all three points,” Miklyaev told the media.
Three points separate Esteghlal from Al Taawoun, but the team from Saudi Arabia must win by at least four goals in order to ensure a better head-to-head record from the Iranian side when the two teams play in Doha on Tuesday.
