RIYADH, 25 August 2006 — Saudi clubs Al-Hilal and Al-Ittifaq wound up preparations and are ready to buckle down to work in the GCC Champions League, which starts in Riyadh today.
The competition will run through Aug. 30.
A total of 12 clubs representing the six Gulf countries will vie in the prestigious soccer event. In addition to Ittifaq and Hilal, the other club teams entered are Al-Sharjah and Al-Jazira (UAE), Al-Arabi and Qatar (Qatar), AL-Muharraq and Al-Rifaa (Bahrain) Al-Qadisiya and Al-Salmiyah (Kuwait), Al-Nasr and Muscat (Oman).
The teams are divided into three groups. Group A includes Al-Sharjah, Al-Arabi, Al-Muharraq and Al-Qadisiya. In Group B are Ittifaq, Al-Nasr, Qatar and Al-Jazira. Bracketed in Group C are Al-Salmiyah, Hilal, Al-Rifaa and Muscat.
In today’s opening games, Muscat of Oman face Al- Salmiyah of Kuwait, host Hilal battle Al-Rifaa of Bahrain, Al-Sharjah of UAE play against Al-Arabi of Qatar and AL-Muharraq of Bahrain tale Al-Qadisiya of Kuwait. The top team from each group after a single round robin will qualify to the semifinal along with the best second placed team in the group matches.
Saudi Arabia hold the record for most championships won in this competition at 11, followed by Kuwait at 7, UAE 2 and Qatar and Oman 1 each.
Each team is allowed to include three professional players in the lineup.
Hilal’s Portuguese coach, Jose, did not make many changes in the lineup of the players seeing action today. Practically the same players that played against Khaleej last week will dress for the match.
The national team committee has released Hilal’s Nawaf Al-Tumyat, Khaled Aziz and Ahmad Khalil for this competition. Hilal club president, Prince Muhammad ibn Faisal, urged Hilal fans to attend the match and support the team.
