JEDDAH, 11 April 2007 — Al-Hilal and Al-Shabab, both from Riyadh, will resume their campaigns in the AFC Champions League with Hilal facing Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan in Uzbekistan and Shabab hosting Ittihad of Syria in Riyadh.
Hilal is back in action after a stunning exit from the Crown Prince Cup competition in Riyadh recently. They could manage only a 1-1 draw with Al-Ahli in the return leg after losing 2-0 in the first leg semifinals. Hilal will be hoping to put this loss behind them when they take on the Uzbek side.
Shabab is currently in second place of Group-D with three points following a 2-0 win against Al-Ain of UAE in the opening match and a 1-0 defeat against Sepahan of Iran in Riyadh. Shabab will need to make up for this loss of three points by turning in a better performance against Ittihad in their quest for maximum points.
The Syrian team is currently in third place with only one point with a one-loss and one-draw card. The Syrian team too will try to collect the game’s three points to keep their hopes alive in the competition, thus promising a keen contest.
In Uzbekistan, Hilal will be hoping to log their first three points. Hilal drew 1-1 against Kuwait of Kuwait in Riyadh in a match they were favored to win. They were unlucky to share points, when the Kuwaiti team struck a late equalizer in injury time. Hilal is currently in second position with one point. Pakhtakor leads with three points following a 1-0 win against Kuwait, who too have one point.
