Nizar Mahrous will send his Tripoli side into their meeting with 2016 AFC Cup Group B leaders Nafit Al Wasat on Tuesday knowing they must pick up all three points to keep their hopes of playing in the knockout phase of the competition alive.
The Lebanese club have picked up four points from their first four games in this year’s campaign and trail leaders Nafit Al Wasat by five points, while they are also four points behind second-placed Al Faisaly from Jordan.
With only six points available over the remaining two matches, Mahrous’ team must secure victory over the Iraqi side to harbour any serious hope of playing in the Round of 16.
“This is our fifth match in the competition and it will be decisive for us as we have no option but to win,” said Mahrous (pictured), who will have defender Emmanuel Ofori available after suspension. “It will be a very tough encounter against the champions and league leaders in Iraq.
“We have prepared our team for this match and I warned my players about the danger of our opponents. I hope that the players will play with a lot of concentration and they will be able to please all our fans.”
A draw, meanwhile, will be enough for Nafit Al Wasat to guarantee their place in the next round and Falah Kadhim’s side prepared for the game with a 1-1 draw in domestic action against Al Talaba on Friday.
“Our opponents are a good team and they have performed well when they play at home and in front of their fans,” said Kadhim. “They have also several talented players who could create a lot of problems for us.
“We respect our opponents who don’t have anything to lose and they will be giving their best against us in order to remain in contention. I hope that our players will give a good performance tomorrow and get a positive result from the match.”
Al Faisaly, meanwhile, go into their meeting with Tajikistan’s FC Istiklol under former coach Rateb Al Awadat, who has returned to the club to replace Mohammad Al Odali. Victory over already eliminated Istiklol would take the Jordanians into the next phase of the competition.
“Our target is clear. We want to win the match and qualify for the knockout stage of the competition,” he said. “We want to finish the group on top as this will give us the advantage of playing at home in the Round of 16.
“We know that our opponents are under a lot of pressure and we respect them. They shared a point with us previously and we know Istiklol very well. We will try to take advantage of their weaknesses in order to win the match.”
Istiklol, runners-up in last year’s competition but who have struggled this season, have picked up just one point so far and will go into the game without
Dzhakhongir Dzhalilov and Davronjon Ergashev, who are suspended. Nuriddin Davronov and Akhtam Nazarov, however, are available.
“Our chances to go through to the knockout stage are over as we didn’t gain the necessary points to remain in contention,” said coach Mubin Ergashev. “Therefore, we will not have any pressure in the match. We will try our best to put in a good performance.
“We know the capabilities of Al Faisaly as they are a good team and they work very well individually and as a group. We want to show that we are a good team and we are definitely ready for the match.”
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