AFC
Qatar’s Al Duhail SC will kick off their AFC Champions League™ 2022 campaign against Group D hosts, Al Taawoun today.
The two sides’ seasons are polar opposites - Al Duhail finished the 2021-22 Qatar Stars League season as runners-up, 10 points clear of third place, while Al Taawoun are involved in a Saudi Pro League relegation scrap with as many as eight clubs in the Saudi Pro League. They currently sit 13th, just one place and one point above the relegation zone.
One thing they have in common is a recent managerial change.
Al Duhail opted to appoint legendary Argentinian forward Hernan Crespo late in March to replace Portuguese Luis Castro, while Al Taawoun went Dutch, recruiting John van den Brom, who took charge in the beginning of April from interim coach Mohamed Al Abdali, following the dismissal of Jose Gomes.
Domestically, Al Taawoun have not won a league game in two months, their last victory coming against Al Raed in the Buraidah derby, they have also had three players sent in their last eight matches.
In contrast, Al Duhail won five out of their last seven matches, scoring three or more goals in each of the wins. The Doha-based side have the added momentum of having just won the Amir Cup in Qatar.
"After going through a long experience as a player in European stadiums, and entering the world of coaching in 2016, I hope to provide the desired assistance as a new coach for Al Duhail in this most important club competition in Asia," said Al Duhail's Crespo.
"I will bear a lot of responsibility in leading the Al Duhail team, which has a good history in this tournament, to qualify for the next round, and to compensate for the exit from the group stage in the last edition.
"We have prepared well for the tournament, and I believe we have distinct and vital players who will be able to make the difference, and we will play as one unit to achieve positive results against our opponents in this strong group."
This term, Al Duhail have added former Tottenham Hotspur center-back Toby Alderweireld and former Al Sadd attacking midfielder Nam Tae-hee to a squad that is already star-studded, while Al Taawoun have also added some quality in Congolese defender Christian Luyinduma on loan from Galatasaray, and Egyptian midfielder Mostafa Fathi from Zamalek SC.
"I'm honoured to be with Al Taawoun Club in the AFC Champions League, and I am looking forward to presenting results worthy of the level of participation of Saudi clubs in this competition," said Al Taawoun's Den Brom.
"We have some distinguished professional players in the team, who I hope will add a technical value to the team, especially as the team suffers from some absences as a result of injuries, especially in the defensive line, but we will work hard through everyone's effort to compete strongly in this group.
"I hope the club's fans will come to the stadium in order to support the team in this important continental tournament, especially as the matches of this group are being held on our soil."
Al Duhail will look to avoid a repeat of what happened when the two sides last met in the AFC Champions League 2020, when they lost both Group C encounters and bowed out of the competition at the group stage while Al Taawoun progressed.
The two sides were equal on points, with Al Duhail boasting a superior goal difference yet their head-to-head encounters ultimately set the Buraidah-based side on their way to the knockout stage for the first time in their history.
Al Taawoun managed a 2-0 win in the first of the two games, thanks to strikes from Mohamed Al Sahlawi and Abdulmajeed Al Swat, before a bandaged Mitchel Duke played through the pain barrier and won the second game with an 86th-minute header.