AFC - AFC Champions League contenders Al Ahli have replaced departing Brazilian Marcelo Camacho with Club Athletico Tegri’s promising midfielder Diego Morales as they prepare for the September and October double-header ACL quarter-finals against Iran’s Sepahan.

Argentine Diego, who has scored nine goals in 46 games for Tegri in his two-year stint at the club, has played one international match for the ‘La Albiceleste’. Apart from boosting Al Ahli’s firepower in the ACL, the goal-scoring midfielder is expected to help Al Ahli to win the domestic title for which they have been waiting for 28 years as the Saudi Pro League is starting from August 3 with Al Ahli taking on Al Shoalah at home.

Al Ahli finished two points behind Al Shabab in the Saudi Pro League last season, who snatched their former star Camacho away from Jeddah a few weeks ago prompting Al Ahli to sign the Argentine with a three-year deal rumoured to be around USD3mil in transfer fees.

Saudi Pro League veteran Camacho, who had stint with another Saudi Arabia ACL quarter-finalists, Al Hilal, had scored a match-saving goal for Al Ahli in their penalty shoot-out win over UAE’s Al Jazira in the ACL round of 16 in May which was his final competitive goal for the club which he had joined last year.

Al Ahli will try to improve their continental records by beating Sepahan in the quarter-finals as they have never gone beyond the quarter-finals in the competition. The first leg will be played at Foolad Shahr Stadium in Isfahan on September 19 while Al Ahli entertain Sepahan at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah on October 2.