Al-Arabi faces East Bengal with Champions League Two group stage spot at stake

Al-Arabi players train in heavy rain ahead of the East Bengal clash in Kolkata.

KOLKATA, India, Aug 11: Al-Arabi faces East Bengal at 4:30 p.m. today at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, with a place in the AFC Champions League Two group stage at stake.

The Green, led by Croatian coach Goran Sablic, is targeting victory over the Indian side to secure a place in the continent’s second-tier club competition. A defeat would send it into the AFC Challenge League for a second successive season.

Sablic, who replaced Nasser Al-Shatti, will take charge of Al-Arabi in his first competitive match as the club’s coach and will be looking for a strong start.

Al-Arabi began preparations last month and later held a training camp in Erzurum, Turkey, where they played four friendlies. They lost 3-1 to Egyptian club Pyramids and Turkish side Erzurumspor, drew 1-1 with Vanspor, and beat Amedspor’s reserve team 4-0.

The Kuwaiti side will rely on a blend of experienced local players, including Bader Tareq, Ali Khalaf, Bandar Al-Salama, Abdulwahab Al-Awadhi, Hamad Al-Harbi, Suleiman Abdulghafour, Ali Aziz, Yousuf Majed and Abdullah Ammar.

Al-Arabi’s foreign players include Senegalese forward Jawhar Khadem Rasoul, Brazilians Leonardo Sheldon and Lucas Chalon, Nigerian Anabo Ayoola and Ethiopian Kenan Maleko.

Heavy rain disrupted the team’s preparations in Kolkata, with the players forced to train under wet conditions.

East Bengal will be looking to capitalize on home advantage and their strong record in Indian football. The club has won the Indian league three times, the Federation Cup seven times, the Indian Super Cup three times, the Durand Cup 16 times, and the Calcutta Football League 32 times. They are also the reigning league champions.

Spanish duo Nacho Monreal Montalves and Dani Ramirez, Australian Chris Ikonomidis, Palestinian Mohammed Rashid and Nigerian Nsungusi Efiong are among East Bengal’s key players.

Nacho Montalves is reportedly carrying an injury and his availability remains uncertain, while Efiong will miss the game after failing to obtain a visa.

The AFC has appointed a Tajikistan refereeing team for the playoff. Gulmurodi Sadullo will referee the match, assisted by Hasan Karimov and Farhod Kuralov, while Nasrullo Kabirov will serve as the fourth official.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff