Caitlin Dillon
Al Rayyan are set to face Esteghlal of Iran in the play-offs of the AFC Champions League on Tuesday evening in Doha.
Esteghlal qualified to play Al Rayyan after a 3-0 victory over Kuwait in Dubai in the preliminary round on the 25th of January. The winners of the Al Rayyan vs Esteghlal match will join Group A, alonside the UAE’s Al Wahda, Iraq’s Al Shorta and the winners of another play-off between Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli and Tajikistan’s FC Istiklol, to be played on the 28th of January.
“It’s a big challenge for us, this game, but we want to play in the Champions League, and for this we have to win tomorrow,” Stated Al Rayyan’s Head Coach, Diego Aguirre, at a press conference this afternoon.
Al Rayyan have had a bad run, with a 4-1 loss at the hands of Al Sadd in the Qatar Cup semi-final, and a 4-2 loss in their Round 13 clash with Al Gharafa last week in the QNB Stars League. However, Abdulaziz Hatem claims that it is not cause for concern, “This match against Esteghlal could be a great comeback for our team.”
The match will take place at 18:30 at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium on the 28th of January.