Sparky’s Column

AFC Champions League comes to town

 

I love the President's Cup weekends because it reminds me of the FA Cup in England. The difference in the UAE is warmer playing conditions and the minnows are minuscule. We all know the name 'Masafi' for its bottled water, some people know it is a small town tucked away in the hills, but very few realise that it also represents a football club. They compete in Group B of the second division and their match against Al Wahda in the President's Cup on the weekend represented their Cup Final. The 2-0 loss to Al Wahda was no disgrace and I am sure the team enjoyed mixing it with the professionals. The other semi finalists following weekend wins are all Etisalat Pro-League teams - Al Wasl, Al Jazira and Al Shabab. The team fancied to etch their name on the silverware this year is Al Wasl. Their win against Al Ahli was massive and Yeste again is making the team tick. I thought they had signed another striker but on closer inspection it was the Spaniard with a new haircut!

This week we turn out attention to the AFC Champions League. We have four UAE representatives - Al Wahda, Al Ain, Al Jazira and Emirates Club.

Emirates Club face last year's beaten finalists Zobahan of Iran. The Club, based in Isfahan, had no previous pedigree in the Champions League having only played in the qualifying rounds in 2001. They are currently 5 points clear at the top of the Iranian Pro League and are on course to win the Club's first title. It will be an extremely tough match for Emirates but they proved at the weekend that they are still tough competitors after their narrow defeat to Al Jazira in the President's Cup.

Al Jazira's first match is with Al Gharafa of Qatar. They were renamed in 2004 after the suburb the Club is located in. Al Gharafa is the former home to Marcel Desailly and Paulo Wanchope, as well as the current club of former Brazilian and Lyon playmaker Juninho. The Qatari League is regarded as one of the best in the region with teams making the AFC Champions League second round more often than not.

Ai Ain have the daunting task of facing all Eastern Asian opposition. Their campaign starts against FC Seoul. They are the current Korean Champions but surprisingly do not have too many current internationals. The most notable is Kim Dong-Jin who played against Uruguay in last year's FIFA World Cup. The match is being played at home so that should give Al Ain an advantage as FC Seoul will have travelled through a number of time zones.

Al Wahda come up against the champions of the former Soviet Republic of Uzbekistan.

They are most famous for splashing out cash on the Brazilian coaches Zico and World Cup winner "Big Phil" Scolari. They had Rivaldo on the playing staff for a number of seasons and will be familiar with the region as they often decamp to the UAE for pre- season training.

The AFC Champions League has not always been a happy hunting ground for UAE clubs. Al Ain have previously won the Championship in 2003 and lost in the Final in 2005, but that is the only representation from the country in the competition's various forms since 1967. Is 2011 going to be the year for the UAE? The best chance no doubt lies with Al Jazira as they have been the team consistently in form this season and will be full of confidence.