Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s Al Ahli are aiming for a strong debut in the AFC Champions League Two (ACL Two) as they host Bahrain’s Al Khaldiya SC at Al Thumama Stadium today.
Igor Biscan’s men booked their berth in Asia’s second-tier club competition courtesy of their fourth-place finish in the Qatar Stars League (QSL) last season. They have been drawn into Group B, which also includes Uzbekistan’s FC Andijon and Turkmenistan’s FK Arkadag.
Al Ahli coach Biscan said his team is confident of a good start to the competition.
“We are excited to begin the new challenge,” Biscan said yesterday.
“Our target is to start the competition with a victory against Al Khaldiya SC.”
After an impressive QSL campaign last season, Al Ahli got off to a poor start in the new term, losing three straight matches.
But they regained confidence on Saturday, beating Al Wakrah 5-3 for their first win in the Qatari top flight. Al Ahli will bank on several talented players, including Sekou Yansane, Julian Draxler, Erik Exposito and Driss Fettouhi.
The match will kick off at 7pm.
