December 23, 2024

Sepahan to meet Al Sadd; Zob Ahan to take on Suwon

acl_logo
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading...
4,392 views

acl_logoMNA – ESFAHAN, Iran’s Sepahan and Zob Ahan have been drawn against Qatari and South Korean teams in the AFC Champions League quarterfinal round on Tuesday.

Iran’s title-holding team will host Al Sadd in Isfahan’s Fooladshahr stadium on September 14 in the first leg. The second leg has been scheduled for September 27.

“It was a good draw and we were expecting to meet Al Sadd,” said Sepahan manager Majid Basirat.

The Sepahan official also siad that the short distance between Isfahan and Doha would be a distinct advantage for the eventual winners when it comes to the semifinals.

“The distance is short and the time difference is none. This will definitely help the winners in the next stage,” said Basirat.

The 2010 finalist Zob Ahan will take on South Korean powerhouse Suwon Samsung Bluewings in an away game at the Big Bird Stadium on September 14.

“It’s going to be difficult for us — we only have two strikers and one is injured,” said Bluewings general manager Lee Ho-Seung. “We need to find at least two to three new strikers. We are looking for foreign players. I heard the two Iranian clubs are strong. I’m not confident of winning the title.”

In other quarterfinals: two-time Asian Champions League winners Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia will meet K-League champion FC Seoul and South Korean Jeonbuk Motors will meet Cerezo Osaka of Japan.