The Jordanian Al-Wahdat team retained the lead in Group Three AFC Champions League 2the new name for the AFC Cup competition, disregarding all expectations that indicated that it would suffer successive losses due to the type of players that were attracted and the migration of its most prominent stars to foreign professionalism.
Al-Wahdat tops the group standings with 4 points, ahead of Al-Sharjah of the United Arab Emirates on goal difference only, followed by Sepahan Isfahan of Iran with 3 points, and finally Esteghlal Dushanbe of Tajikistan without any point.
It seems that the conflict in this group will reach its intensity, and the decision on the two qualification tickets will be limited to three teams: Al-Wahdat, Al-Sharjah, and Sepahan, which revived its hopes by defeating Istiklal Dushanbe by a clean four.
In this report, the winwin website reviews everything related to the numbers and stations of the third group, and to find out whether Al-Wehdat is able to break the barrier of expectations and announce its qualification in the upcoming rounds for the second round.
Al-Wahdat breaks the barrier of expectations and surprises its fans
Al-Wehdat Club fans were not optimistic about their team’s participation in the AFC Champions League 2, and some of its fans demanded, before the start of the competition, the necessity of the departure of the team’s coach, Raafat Ali, after stumbling in the professional league championship with two draws against Mugheer Al-Sarhan and Al-Faisaly, not to mention the unconvincing performance of the players.
The team began its journey by hosting Iranian Sepahan Isfahan in Amman, and fell behind in the 9th minute with the goal of taking the lead. But he succeeded in the end by scoring two goals, signed by Senegalese Ousseynou Cesar and Ibrahim Sabra, to be able to put the first 3 points on his score.
The victory gave the fans confidence, after doubting the team’s ability to fight the Iranian Sepahan, and this confidence was reflected positively on the players and the technical staff led by Raafat Ali.
In the second match, the fans were afraid Jordanian giant Its team suffered a harsh loss when it visited Al-Sharjah, UAE, which has a market value of $41 million, but the competitor did not offer what it had and appeared as if it were a team that did not differ much in its capabilities and capabilities from the “Green Giant”.
Although Al-Wahdat trailed by a goal in the 9th minute as well, the team was able to score two goals through its Senegalese star, Ousino Cesar, to take the lead in the 62nd minute with a score of 2-1, before Sharjah equalized through its Croatian professional, Darko Negasmic.
In the second match, the Jordanian team returned with a valuable draw from the competitor’s home ground, but after the team advanced the result, it could have maintained it or consolidated the lead, especially since Sharjah was not that team, as its appearance contradicted all expectations.
There is a segment of the “Green Giant” fans who believe that the result of the tie was a loss for the team, and there are those who consider it a gain because the match was held outside its rules.
Cesar attracts admiring attention
Senegalese Ousseynou Cesar has become the favorite and most prominent star among Al-Wahdat fans, as he is the team’s top scorer locally and in Asia, even though he plays as a right winger.
Cesar was able to score 3 goals for Al-Wahdat in the AFC Champions League 2, confirming that it was a successful deal at a time when the other three professionals, Cameroonian Akano, Malian Diarra, and Moroccan Marouane Aflah, did not provide the required addition.
Strong upcoming confrontations
The third round of this group will witness strong and important matches that may make it very clear who will be closest to clinching the qualification ticket.
Al-Wehdat will be a guest of Tajikistan’s Esteghlal Dushanbe on October 22, where they plan to return with winning points to enhance their chances of competing for the two qualification tickets.
Esteghlal Dushanbe lost the first match at home and among its fans to Sharjah 0-1, and then lost to its Iranian host Sepahan 0-4.
The third round will witness a very important match when Sharjah, UAE, hosts Sepahan, Iran, on October 22, and the winner will gain great confidence to move forward to the second round.
