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AFC – Pas coach Mustafa Denizli is looking for
his players to build on their winning start to the 2005/06 Iran Pro League
campaign and go all out for victory in the first leg of their AFC Champions
League quarter-final clash with Al Ain.
“It’s been a fantastic start to the season and I hope they’ll carry that
winning formula against Al Ain,” said Denizli after the team’s first workout
in Al Ain on Monday.
Pas, looking to win continental silverware for only the second time after
their 1-0 victory, over Al Shabab in the 1992 Asian Club Championship, go
into the clash with Al Ain on the back of two morale-boasting league wins.
Midfielder Javad Shirzadeh, who didn’t feature in Pas’ Champions League
Group A triumph, scored a sublime winner in the Tehran side’s 1-0 defeat of
two-time Asian club champions Esteghlal to make it two wins from two after
double from Iran international Arash Borhani and Mohsen Bayatiniya effort
saw Pas cruise to a 3-1 opening day win over Saipa.
“We are at full strength and have come well prepared,” continued Denizli.
“The start we have had in our own league couldn’t have been better ahead of
this game and we hope could carry on until the end of this continental
competition.”
Despite the Iranians playing the first leg of the quarter-final away, Pas
are not going to be satisfied with just a point and with no injuries or
suspensions to worry about, the former Turkey coach has insisted his side
will be going for the win on Wednesday.
“It’s important to get a good foothold from this opening leg and the best
way to achieve that is to play for a win.
“We have a lot of respect for Al Ain as they have already one this title and
have featured in all three ACL quarters so we’ll have to play with the
minimum of errors.”
Milan Macala, meanwhile, has not enjoyed the same start to the season as his
Pas counterpart as Al Ain struggled to beat 10-man Al Nasr in their E-League
curtain raiser before going down 2-1 to Al Jazira last week.
However, the burly Czech has insisted that a couple of disappointing
domestic league games should not be a yardstick to judge his team’s true
potential when they take on Pas
“We had to play a couple of tough league games under trying weather
conditions and no doubt they were poor results by our own standards, but
those two games bear no evidence of the team’s ability,” said Macala who led
Al Ain to the President’s Cup last season and an automatic qualification for
the 2006 ACL competition.
“It’s difficult for any team to play in such harsh conditions and I would
like to think the Iran club will feel more uneasy in the sapping weather
than us.
“The ACL is a different competition where the winner takes it all in the
two-legged tie. I strongly feel my boys to raise their game when it comes to
playing at this level.”
Al Ain host Pas at the Tahnon bin Mohammed Stadium on Wednesday, with the
match scheduled to kick-off at 19:15hrs local time. The return fixture in
Tehran is a week later.
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