Vieira OK after health scare

AFC - Jorvan Vieira downplayed worries about his health on Wednesday after the Sepahan coach required a medical check-up following his team’s 1-0 win over Al Ittihad at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium.

Emad Mohammed Ridha’s late goal gave the Iranian side a crucial victory in the Group A encounter but there were concerns about the Brazilian as he appeared to suffer from heart problems as his team celebrated their win after the final whistle.

Vieira skipped the post-match press conference in order to be checked on by a doctor but he appeared to be okay later when he spoke to reporters.

“My health is okay now,” said the former Iraq national coach.

“What happened to me was because of the heat and the pressure of the match.”

Vieira was more eager to discuss the match as Sepahan claimed their second win in a fortnight against the two-time AFC Champions League winners following a 2-0 victory in Tehran earlier this month.

“As you know Al Ittihad are a strong team and they put up a very good show although they were unable to get a goal.

“They have recently had a bad run with their players unable to score.

“Their coach is new and their main striker Magno Alves was injured so there were a lot of things that helped us in tonight's match.

“My team also played very well and I was confident of getting a result after talking to my players before the game.”

After winning their first two games in the group, Al Ittihad have hit a slump and now find themselves facing elimination after back-to-back defeats against Sepahan.

Newly-installed coach Gabriel Calderon called for patience from club supporters as the Jeddah side look to end their recent disappointing run.

“Please do not expect miracles from me as I have only been here for two days and I need some time,” said the Argentinian.

“We still have hope of advancing and I will try to get the team back to form for our next matches.

“My team did not play as expected and the players failed to capitalise as we had many good scoring chances.

“However, we have had some problem of late, particularly with Magno Alves, who was injured during the first half.

“I know all problems inside the club and I will work to fix them.

“I promise our fans that we will win at least two competitions next season,” he added.