The 2015 AFC Asian Champions League kicks off this week. Here's a quick preview of the West Asian side of the draw with Group C; including Iraian champions Foolad, Uzbek Cup winners Lokomotiv Tashkent, Saudi trailblazers Al-Hilal and experienced ACL campaigners Al-Sadd.
Team: Foolad
Country: Iran
Manager: Dragan Skocic (CRO)
Key Man: Soroush Rafiei (IRN)
Champions of Iran, Foolad alongside Naft are revolutionising the Persian Gulf Pro League with their new, exciting, youth
focused brand of football. Both domestically and on the continent Foolad
continiue to fly the flag, becoming the only bright spot of a disasterous ACL campaign
for the country last time around by making it out of the group stage. A couple of
disappointing results since the Asian Cup break has seen them drop down the
table but they remain in with a shout of defending their title. While they’ve
provided a solid unit, with the best defensive record of the PGPL, they have
lacked a point of attack. However, the emergence of in form Cameroonian striker Aloys
Nong seems to have solved their impotency for now as they prepare to kick off their ACL campaign.
Team: Lokomotiv Tashkent
Country: Uzbekistan
Manager: Vadim Abramov (AZE)
Key Man: Ignatiy Nesterov (UZB)
Uzbek Cup champions Lokomotiv Tashkent’s story from 2nd
division make weights to Premier title contenders has been pretty impressive.
Flooded with money, Loko’s rise looks to have no end, with a title chase surely
on the charge once the domestic game returns in March. They possess an array of
talent including national team stalwarts, Ignatiy Nesterov who was one of the
Goalkeepers of the tournament in January’s Asian Cup and the versatile Timur
Kapadze who offers an experienced head in midfield. The worry they may have is
in front of goal, as last season’s top scorer Farhod Tajivev has exited to
Malaysia. The return to Uzbek football of highly rated Temurkhuja Abdukholiqov
after a miserable time in Croatia promises much, but he will need to hit the
ground running if they are to succeed in the group stage.
Team: Al-Hilal
Country: Saudi Arabia
Caretaker Manager: Ciprian Panait (ROM)
Key Man: Nawaf Al-Abid (KSA)
Arguably in possession of the deepest squad in the AFC,
West Asia’s most successful outfit Al-Hilal are going through a relative slump
after being narrowly pipped to the ACL title at the end of last year. Since
then everything’s really petered out as they’ve attempted to catch up on their
games in hand. A bunch of erratic results later, compounded by a Crown Prince
Cup final defeat to Al-Ahli saw hero turned villain Laurentiu Reghecampf
exit as the club’s fall guy, leaving a club desperately seeking form and a new coach as they return
to their favourite tournament. Never afraid of spending big, Marcelo Bielsa and
Herve Renard are the latest names to be linked with the vacant job, whether a
big name will eventually be in place to steer a title charge is yet to
be seen.
Team: Al-Sadd
Country: Qatar
Manager: Hussein Amotta (MOR)
Key Man: Khalfan Ibrahim (QAT)
One
of the Gulf’s most impressive ACL performers in recent years, Al-Sadd go into
2015’s edition with a hand of luck after only qualifying for the group stage
after back to back penalty shootout victories in the playoffs. They come through on
a wave of excitement however after their game of the tournament dislay sharing 8 goals
with Al-Wahda last week finally fell in the Qatari's favour. For years now
they’ve possessed a great attacking lineup, but have until this stage lacked a real number 9 to pin their goalscoring duties on after Brazilian Muriqui picked up a
substantial injury back in September. Another Brazilian, former Wolfsburg and
Al-Ahli strker Grafite has joined just in time for the ACL, assisting the
burden on the likes of Qatari wide man Hassan Al-Haydos, who now can move back
to his desired position.
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