Doha, Qatar: Coach Ali Rahma Al Marri has said Al Wakrah are ready to fight for their first win in the AFC Champions League (ACL) Two as they meet Tajikistan’s FC Ravshan in Dushanbe today. Under Miguel Angel, Al Wakrah lost to Iran’s Tractor SC in 3-0 in their opening match of Group A but the Blue Wave are returning to action confident after beating Al Khor 3-1 in the Ooredoo Stars League (OSL) under the new coach on Thursday. Al Marri was optimistic about his team’s chances in the away game.
“We are ready despite tight scheduling as we played the league (OSL) match just a few days ago,” the Al Wakrah coach said yesterday. “The Asian competition is a different challenge from the local championships. We respect FC Ravshan but we are here to win and get three points,” he added.
The match will be played at Central Republican Stadium’s artificial turf with kick off set for 5pm (Qatar time). “Everyone knows that in Qatar and in the Gulf region, football is played on the natural grass. Since tomorrow’s match will be played on artificial grass, this will pose some difficulties for us, but this will not be an excuse for us, as we respect the facilities of the opposing team,” he said.
Meanwhile, defender Lucas Mendes said Al Wakrah are looking to bounce back after the opening defeat. “The loss against Tractor SC has put us in a difficult situation and our focus now is on improving our standing in the group,” said the Qatar international. “We are aware of o.