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AFCL - After going all the way
to the final last year, Iranian side Sepahan are aiming to go one better as
they open their 2008 ACL campaign on home soil against Syria's Al Ittihad on
Wednesday.
Having qualified for this year's tournament after winning the Hazfi Cup last
season, the Esfahan side will be looking to build on their impressive
performance in the AFC Champions League last year when they became the first
Iranian side to reach the final, where they were beaten 3-1 on aggregate by
Japanese side Urawa Reds.
Currently lying second in the Iranian Premier League, one point behind
leaders Persepolis, the 'Yellows' have a largely unchanged squad although
there has been a significant alteration at the helm of the team since their
loss to Urawa.
Croat coach Luka Bonacic left the club in January for the United Arab
Emirates league side Al Nasr and has been replaced by Brazilian Jorvan
Vieira, the architect of Iraq's extraordinary Asian Cup success last summer.
Vieira joined the club at the beginning of February and has had an
unremarkable start, winning one and losing one of his first five matches.
But the Brazilian's start has not been made easy by the ban on home fans at
Foolad Shahr Stadium following crowd violence in a match against Persepolis
which resulted in the partial blinding of a soldier.
Sepahan were docked three points and had to play four home games behind
closed doors.
Vieira is not expecting to perform miracles and wants to take things one
game at a time.
"I am not a magician who can change things in an instant," the Brazilian
said. "I've only lost one match, and that was behind closed doors.
"We were runners-up in Asia and so the players will play with a lot of self
confidence. We are only interested in starting this season's competition
with a win."
Sepahan will be without influential but injury-prone captain Moharram
Navidkia who has yet to recover from a leg injury which reduced him to being
a peripheral figure at the Club World Cup in December.
Their opponents should be in buoyant mood after thrashing Al Futowa 4-0 in
their last Syrian league match, taking them up to second in the table.
Al Ittihad arrived on Monday in Esfahan and have concerns over defender
Bakri Tarrab and striker Abdulfatah Al Agha, who are nursing slight knocks.
But while defenders Wael Ayan and Yousef Chikhal Eshra missed the match
against Al Futowa along with Cameroonian striker Otobong Otudor and
midfielder Obada Al Said due to injuries, they have all travelled with the
team to Esfahan.
"We have recently followed the performance of Sepahan and they are one of
the top teams especially that they were the runners-up of the competition
last year," said the club's Romanian coach Tito Valero.
"We must be cautious in the game as they have several key players who can
settle the match.
"Our aim is to get back to Syria with a good result and hopefully the
players will give all they can."
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