A revamped AFC Champions League Elite kicks off tonight as three Qatari clubs with busy transfer windows and last-minute scrambles aim to vie for glory.
Following a summer of unexpected signings, last-minute policy changes, and a tight adaptation period, three of Qatar’s football clubs begin their campaign in the newly revamped AFC Champions League (ACL) Elite tonight.
Defending champions Al Sadd will kick off the campaign away at Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates, Al Gharafa will travel to Iran to face Esteghlal. Meanwhile, Al Rayyan will host Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal to begin the proceedings.
The start of the season has been challenging for Qatar’s clubs heading into Asia, with only one positive result to show. Al Rayyan’s 4-2 victory over Al Shahaniya was the highlight, while Al Sadd fell 3-1 to Umm Salal and Al Gharafa drew 1-1 with Al Shamal.
All three ACL Elite teams, along with ACL Two-bound Al Wakrah, were granted permission to exceed the league’s previous foreigner quota of seven players, as the AFC has lifted the foreigner limit.
Albeit a welcome move considering the foreigner-stacked Saudi and UAE sides, it came a little too late for clubs to adjust for the Asia club tournament on time, said Ahmed Hashim, editor of Qatari football outlet QFootLive.
“The failure to complete the signings ahead of the QSL [Qatar Stars League] seems to have affected each team,” he told Doha News.
Al Sadd have already lost two matches and things have not clicked yet for Al Gharafa, who signed Real Madrid forward Joselu earlier in the summer. Both Al Gharafa and Al Rayyan lie at the mid-table, despite an active effort to strengthen their squads with foreign signings.
Will Al Sadd bring the glory days back?
Al Sadd bolstered their attack with the signings of Spanish duo Rafa Mujica and Cristo Gonzalez, and strengthened their defence by signing Mohamed Camara from Monaco, along with the Algerian duo of Abdessamad Bounacer and Youcef Atal.
However, aside from a 5-0 victory over Al Arabi, Felix Sanchez’s side has struggled, with the new signings yet to integrate fully into the team’s style of play.
While Mujica’s hat-trick against Al Arabi was a highlight, Camara, Bounacer, and Atal are still awaiting their league debuts. The team will look to veterans Akram Afif and Hassan Al-Haydos to drive performance and cohesion.
“Don’t expect big things against Al-Ain on Monday,” Hashim said of Al Sadd’s chances. “I think they’ll start clicking a couple of games in.”
“Considering the new format, they just might be able to make it to the knockout stage again, but can you compete with the Saudi clubs with this squad? Not so sure,” he added.
Al Rayyan’s additions up for test
Al Rayyan’s new signing Mahmoud Trezeguet’s goal in the 4-2 win over Al Shahania was an indicator of things starting to click for the team, who had lost their previous two games in the league.
Additions of Spanish David Garcia, Belgium’s Julien De Sart, and Palestinian centre-back Mohammed Saleh have strengthened the back line and brought in much-needed experience too.
Hashim believes that a formidable attacking lineup, bolstered by the re-signing of Achraf Bencharki, should secure a place in the knockout stages. However, there are concerns about their prospects beyond that point.
“This level of Asian football requires some managing know-how as well, and I feel Poya Asbaghi may not be the right person to lead them through it,” he said.
That will be put to the test on Tuesday, as mighty Al Hilal, who went on the longest consecutive winning streak of 34 matches to win the Saudi Pro League, come to the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium.
Al Gharafa still seeking their form
Meanwhile, Al Gharafa is struggling to find their optimal performance level, with the team failing to achieve consistent or impressive results.
“If we’re only looking at current form, I’m tempted to say they will not make it out of the group stage,” Hashim claimed.
After all, Al Gharafa’s most convincing performance so far came in the 1-0 win against UAE’s Shabab Al-Ahli to book a spot in the ACL Elite group stages.
Al Gharafa are facing Spanish forward Joselu, Al Gharafa’s top signing this year, has yet to make an impact on the score sheet for the team. Aside from Romanian Florinel Coman, the new attacking additions have not gelled, and former Spain international Rodrigo’s loan arrival came too late to make a difference.
The concern has been about creativity from the middle, which has been Algerian Yacine Brahimi’s job for a couple of seasons at the club.
“Having a fully committed and motivated Yacine Brahimi on board would have meant different things, but unfortunately that’s not the case,” Hashim said.
“They’ve not produced a like-for-like replacement for the immense role the Algerian had and that may end up impacting their chances of qualification.”
“In short, none of the teams have found time to gel together to create a winning combination before the ACLE kicks off,” he said, summarising the Asia-bound club’s windows.
