Al Wasl carries the hopes of its huge fans in its fourth appearance at the continental level, and its first at the AFC Champions League for the elite, when it launches its Asian participation at six o’clock tomorrow evening against its host, Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan.
The participation of the “Emperor” in the AFC Champions League for the elite comes amid aspirations to compete for the continental title, as the team’s best results in the continental championship were in 1993, when it reached the semi-finals before bidding farewell to the championship on penalty kicks against Al-Shabab of Saudi Arabia.
Al Wasl enters the Elite Cup with better conditions and circumstances than in its last participation in the 2019 edition, when it bid farewell to the tournament from the group stage without any points, after losing its six matches, recording its worst external participation.
The draw granted Al Wasl team to play strong matches outside its home ground, which will bring it together with Pakhtakor, Al Gharafa of Qatar, Al Shorta of Iraq, and Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia, while it will meet Al Ahli and Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia, and Al Sadd and Al Rayyan of Qatar at its home ground.
abundance of stars
Al Wasl is armed with four positive factors that give it extra doses of confidence and optimism, in the face of the giants of Asia, and at the forefront of them is the abundance of stars in the team’s lineup, most notably Fabio Lima, Caio, Ali Saleh, Jimenez and Haris Seferovic. This quintet possesses high technical and individual abilities, and formed the effective force of the team’s attack, which scored more than 100 goals in the local tournaments it participated in last season. Al Wasl also strengthened its ranks with four strong deals, led by Srdjan Mijajlovic, the midfielder of the Serbian Red Star, Takashi Uchino, the right-back of Fortuna Dusseldorf, Tahnoon Al Zaabi, the midfielder of Al Wahda, and Majed Surour, the Sharjah player.
Milos style
Al Wasl’s biggest bet, in addition to the constellation of stars in the team’s ranks, will be on Serbian coach Milos Milojevic, who proved to be very successful in his first appearance with the “Emperor” last season, not only in terms of results, but also in terms of performance and the tactical methods he chooses for each match.
The Serbian coach does not clearly lean towards either the defensive or offensive schools, but he relies more on balance between the two sides, and organization on the field, in addition to his technical interventions during matches in a way that makes a difference in favor of his team.
Bench
Al Wasl now has several options on the bench, although the club focused on its summer transfer deals to support the deficiencies that existed in the team’s lineup, especially in midfield. However, the bench remains one of the main components of the team’s strength, as the trio of Siaka Sidiye, Adamao Diallo and Jean N’Guessien did not disappoint with their strong and influential presence during the minutes they participated.
Public support
The high hopes for Al Wasl’s Asian journey remain pinned on the large fan presence of the team’s supporters, as the fans played a leading role in the team’s successes during the past season, through their effective role in spreading enthusiasm among the players, which enabled the team to win the league and cup double.
., and the latest political and economic developments via Google News
