JEDDAH: The stage is set for the Gulf Clubs Championship 2008 final between Al-Ahli and Al-Nasr.
Ahli hosts the first leg of the home-and-away final series today at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal in Jeddah with the second leg to be played in Riyadh next Wednesday.
Ahli and the Riyadh-based Nasr moved straight into the final after FIFA suspended Kuwait Football Federation from international competition resulting in the cancellation of the semifinal match between Kuwati sides Al-Salmiyah and Al-Qadisia.
Ahli qualified first of Group B for the semifinal with seven points, while Nasr took the second spot from Group A also with seven points. Ahli is looking to make amends with its fans following a poor performance in the Saudi Professional League by winning the Gulf Clubs title. But it would take more than luck and unbending resolve for Ahli to win if one were to consider the team’s lackluster display of late.
Though 2-0 winner over Al-Watani in its last Saudi league match Ahli was far from convincing performance-wise.
On the upside Ahli will be at full strength for the series with the returning star striker Malek Muaz to partner Hasan Al-Raheb. In the defense line, there is Adel Meaiza, the Algerian professional, along with Muhammad Mussad and Ibraheem Hazzazi. In the midfield, Tayseer Al-Jasim, Saheb Al-Abdullah, Harrison De Silva and Turki Al-Thagafi are the likely starters.
As for Nasr, the team is looking for its third title in this competition. Nasr fancies any result that will make its mission in the second leg match in Riyadh easy.
Except for its injured striker Saad Al-Harthy who is likely to miss the match everything is dandy for Nasr which will be pinning its hopes on Elton in the midfield and Rayyan Bilal in the striking line.
Al-Ittifaq is the most successful Gulf and Saudi team in the competition with three titles in 1983, 1988 and 2006. Out of 22 championships played, Saudi teams have won 12 times with Ittifaq the only three-time winner so far. Al-Ahli won twice in 1985 and 2002, as did Al-Hilal in 1986 and 1998, Al-Nasr in 1996 and 1997 and Al-Shabab in 1993 and 1994. Ittihad won in 1999.
