Sport | Football
Al Wasl aim to keep hopes alive
Saipa, of Iran, top the group with eight points and they are favourites to win the only seat from Group B to qualify for the quarterfinals.
- By Sayed Ali, Senior Reporter
- Published: 00:27 May 5, 2008
- Al Wasl Club (yellow jersey) travel to Kuwait to face Al Quwa Al Jawiya in their Asian Champions League Group B clash.
- Image Credit: Hadrian Hernandez/Gulf News
Dubai: Al Wasl's senior football team leave for Kuwait on Monday to play in their fifth match of the Asian Champions League in Group B against Iraqi club Al Quwa Al Jawiya.
The Iraqi club are playing their home matches in Kuwait due to the unstable conditions in Iraq.
Even the Iraqi national team play their home matches in the Asian Cup qualifiers in Dubai's Al Ahli stadium.
Al Wasl are in the fourth and last place in Group B with three points from four matches.
Saipa, of Iran, top the group with eight points and they are favourites to win the only seat from Group B to qualify for the quarterfinals.
Suspension
"We know that our chances are slim after losing against Kuwait two weeks ago, but we will keep our hopes alive and fight in Wednesday's clash to win the three points and wait for our last match at home against Saipa," said Esmail Rashid, the Al Wasl team manager.
Rashid said the players will leave today with the exception of Brazilian midfielder Rogerio who picked up two yellow cards in previous matches and will be suspended for one match.
"The players morale is excellent after we came back in the Al Ahli league match last Friday. They fought hard to earn a 3-3 draw after we were down 2-0. The match was a good rehearsal for Al Quwa Al Al Jawiya," said Rashid.
Al Quwa Al Jawiya will enter the match to clinch the three points to revive hope of reaching the last eight.
They have five points in the third place in Group B. Saipa host Kuwait club today in Tehran in the second match of Group B. If Saipa beat Kuwait they will raise their points tally to 11, which will be a difficult total for any other team in the group to reach.
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