Al-Ahli vs. Al-Wasl Clash Tops the 'Elite Asian' Scene
Kick-off of the second round matches in the AFC Elite Champions League, featuring clubs from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iran, and Qatar.
Translated by Qiyas from الجريدة — Original source
Competitions for the second round of the unified Western Region group in the AFC Champions League Elite will continue tomorrow with six matches.
The day’s action kicks off at 4:45 PM Kuwait time with Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor hosting Saudi Arabia’s Al-Qadsiah, who are aiming to maintain their strong start after a 2-1 first-round victory over Al-Wasl.
Attention shifts to Dubai at 7:00 PM, where the UAE’s Al-Wasl faces the defending champions, Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli. Al-Ahli enter the match seeking to bounce back from their opening setback against Pakhtakor and their exit from the FIFA Club World Cup, relying on their strong domestic form following a 4-0 win against Al-Fateh.
Their coach, Marino Pušić, emphasized the importance of the fixture, noting that the win carries special significance after learning that Al-Ahli has not defeated Al-Wasl at their home ground in five years. He highlighted Al-Ahli’s historical advantage over UAE clubs, with a record of 14 wins, 5 losses, and 8 draws in 27 encounters.
Conversely, Al-Wasl are looking to regain their balance and break their hoodoo against Saudi clubs, having lost their last five matches against them, including a 2-0 defeat to Al-Ahli in the 2025 edition.
In Muscat, Iran’s Tractor will face Qatar’s Al-Shamal at the same time. The Asian Football Confederation has moved the match to Sultan Qaboos Stadium for security reasons. Al-Shamal hope to secure their first-ever victory in the competition after squandering a winnable opportunity against Al-Ittihad in the opening round. Their coach, David Prates, stated that the league loss to Al-Duhail was a harsh lesson that has now been put behind them.
At 9:15 PM, Qatar’s Al-Gharafa host Iran’s Esteghlal Tehran. Al-Gharafa enter the match following their first-round defeat to Al-Hilal, while Esteghlal arrive buoyed by their victory against Al-Sadd.
At the same time, Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr will look to avenge their heavy 4-0 defeat to Al-Ain, which left them at the bottom of the table, when they host Uzbekistan’s Neftchi in Riyadh. Coach Ange Postecoglou expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance following their 3-0 league win against Al-Diriyah.
Tomorrow’s final match sees Iraq’s Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya face UAE’s Al-Ain. The 2003 and 2024 champions hope to make up for their recent domestic disappointment. After delivering an impressive performance against Al-Nassr in the first round, Al-Ain stumbled with two losses and a draw in the League Cup. Coach Vladimir Ivetic explained that he fielded new players in the League Cup to discover fresh talent, stressing that the victory over Al-Nassr sent a clear message to the squad about their potential in the tournament.
