AFC Cup 2017 West Asia Zonal Final 2nd leg: Air Force Club v Al Wahda preview
Doha: Defending champions Air Force Club of Iraq will have to score at least once when they face Syria's Al Wahda in the second leg of the AFC Cup West Asia Zonal Final on Tuesday, if they are to reach a second successive AFC Cup conclusion.
The first leg in Saida saw the Syrian side take a 2-0 lead just after the hour mark but Hammadi Ahmed came up with a late goal to change the complexion of the tie and give Air Force hope of turning the tables in the second leg.
The two sides also played each other twice in Group B earlier in the tournament, with both matches ending in draws.
Air Force Club
Air Force Club began their campaign to defend their title with a 0-0 draw against Safa SC before going on to finish as winners of Group B with an unbeaten record. In the West Asia Zonal Semi-Finals, the holders met rivals Al Zawraa and managed to edge a 2-1 aggregate victory, setting up the West Zonal Final clash with Al Wahda.
The Iraqi side have scored a goal per game during their run so far but they may need more than that if they are to repeat last year's feat.
Last year’s MVP and Top Scorer Hammadi Ahmed's goal in the first leg of the zonal final was just his second of his tournament, after he had scored 16 times last year.
Nevertheless, the timing of that goal could prove to be crucial in Air Force Club's effort to reach the final once again. Also prominent in the Air Force Club attack is Amjed Radhi, who has netted three times in the tournament so far and can strike up a potent partnership with Ahmed.
Al Wahda
After playing in the inaugural AFC Cup final 13 years ago, Al Wahda are now just a clean sheet away from returning to the showpiece event.
After progressing from Group B courtesy of their record as the best second-placed team, the Damascus-based club defeated Al Wehdat of Jordan in the zonal semi-finals with a 4-1 win in the first leg before clinching a spot in the zonal final despite a 0-1 defeat in the second leg.
Al Wahda were the highest scoring team in the West Asian region during the group stage of this year's tournament, netting 10 times and then going on to add another 6 in the knockout stage.
Goals have come from all over the pitch for Al Wahda with veteran striker Raja Rafe currently top scorer for the team with three.
Osama Omari, though, is the key man for Al Wahda, having scored two goals and set up five others. Omari showed his quality in the first leg of the West Zonal final, assisting both of his team's goals.
Ones to watch:
Air Force Club v Al Wahda
Venue: Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Stadium, Doha
Kick-off: September 26, 18:00 UTC+3
Photos: Lagardère Sports
Source: the-afc.com
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