MUSCAT: Al Nahda will aim to present a different show as they face Lebanon’s Al Ahed in the second leg match on Tuesday at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex. The first-leg match at Karbala International Stadium last week ended in favour of the opponent by 1-0 and the only goal in the match was scored by Mohammed al Halaq at the beginning of the second half.
Al Nahdha players reported back to the training session after they returned from Iraq following the completion of the first-leg game. Al Buraimi-based team had two training sessions at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex under watchful eyes of the domestic, experienced coach Hamed al Azani.
Al Nahda head coach Al Azani is confident of better concentration from his players on Tuesday. “The players lacked focus and concentration during the previous game especially in the first half. The performance was not at desired levels though we fared better in the second half,” he said.
Oman’s chances are still high as Al Nahdha would like to rekindle memories of the Seeb’s club as they had lifted the AFC Cup trophy in 2022. Coach Al Azani is optimistic that Al Nahdha will secure a slot in the final against either Abdysh-Ata Kant of Kyrgyz Republic or Australia's Central Coast Mariners.
“There are minor details in the knockout stage, and the team did not work properly to exploit those details in the right way. Al Ahed had managed to score after they received two chances while we had, at least, three real chances to score. We were still capable of staging a comeback and winning the second leg," said Al Azani.
On the other hand, the Lebanese side arrived in Muscat and commenced their training ahead of the scheduled match on Tuesday. It is going to be a very tough game for both teams as they will target to reach the AFC Cup final. Al Nahdha Club requested the fans to support the domestic club as they are representing the nation in this essential tournament. It is expected that the fans will turn up in large numbers to support Al Nahdha in this crucial tournament as they are one step away from the AFC Cup final.
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