FC Goa Rival Watch for AFC Champions League 2021: Al Wahda FC

The Emirati club will be the third opponent in the group stages for the Gaurs.

The Group E consisting of AFC Champions League debutants FC Goa, has been completed after UAE’s Al Wahda FC were confirmed for the group stages. They secured qualification after winning the playoffs match against Al Zawra’a of Iraq.

The Indian Super League outfit now have a confirmation of all three of their opponents in Group E, namely Al Wahda FC, Persepolis FC and Al Rayyan. There will be no easy game for the Goa-based outfit, but perhaps they could favour themselves to produce a positive result against Al Wahda FC. 

FC Goa will clash against the opponents from UAE on 17 April 2021. The highly-anticipated ACL fixture will be closely watched by all of the stakeholders of Indian football. Having said that, looking at the rival watch, here is what Al Wahda FC bring to the table and why they could be tricky opponents.

Recent Performance

Al Wahda FC played their ACL playoffs game against Iraq’s Al Zawra'a, edging past them by a scoreline of 2-1 to secure qualification into the group stages. The UAE-based outfit looked more comfortable on the ball in the match played at the Al Nahyan Stadium on Wednesday. Despite going down by a goal, they came back to snatch victory late in the second half. 

In their last five fixtures, Al Wahda have won three and lost two matches. One of those victories was against their domestic league leaders Al Jazira. The team has a poor disciplinary record, with three red cards in the last seven matches. However, the playoffs victory will be a huge confidence booster.

About The Team

Al Wahda FC was founded back in 1984 after Abu Dhabi SC and Al-Emirates SC merged to form a new club. They play in the UAE Pro League, also known as UAE Arabian Gulf League. The outfit have won their domestic league on four different occasions.

The Emirati club have qualified for the ACL a total of 12 times in their history. Their last campaign was a disaster however, as the club had to withdraw from the competition after failing to turn up once the tournament resumed after the lockdown imposed by the pandemic had eased. The team usually plays possession-based football and trusts in a 4-4-2 (diamond) or a 4-3-2-1 system. 

The Coach

Henk ten Cate is currently the manager at Al Wahda FC. This is his second stint with the club, after having held the position from December 2018 to May 2019 before. The Dutch tactician has an immense amount of experience under his belt. He was previously the assistant manager at both FC Barcelona and Chelsea. He has also been at the helm for teams like AFC Ajax, Panathinaikos and most recently Al-Ittihad.

The 66-year-old has a great grasp of Asian football due to his years of work in recent times in the continent. The coach trusts in the Dutch philosophy of “total football” and puts emphasis on keeping possession by overloading the midfield. Juan Ferrando of FC Goa will have his hands full against a highly-experienced operator in Ten Cate.

Players To Watch

1. Ismaeil Matar

Ismaeil Matar is the captain of the side and one of the most experienced figures in the team. The 38-year-old plays as an attacking-midfielder just behind the two strikers. He is very influential in most of Al Wahda’s attacking gameplay and can affect the game even at his advanced age. He can also play as a winger or in a deeper midfield role as when the situation demands. His battle with Edu Bedia would be one to watch out for.

Omar Khribin

Al Wahda play with a partnership of two strikers upfront usually. In their last match against Al Zawraa, Omar Khribin, part of the two forwards, scored the equaliser for the team and helped them in making a comeback. The striker was the 2017 AFC Player of the Year. He was recently signed from Al-Hilal in the winter transfer window. The Syrian forward has 18 goals in 45 games on the international stage as well. 

Khalil Ibrahim Al Hammadi

Khalil Ibrahim recently played against India for UAE in a 6 - 0 victory and scored one of the goals. The winger can also operate as a striker and has a tendency of making late runs behind the defenders. Most notably, he scored the winner for the team against Al Zawraa in the playoff that helped them secure qualification into the group stages. He is a player in-form and will be a threat to deal with. 

What To Expect

The Gaurs will have their hands full against all three opponents in their Group E fixtures. They need to pull up their socks to get a positive result out of the games. Al Wahda have a sensational manager who is tactically astute and will have done his homework. FC Goa will most likely have to stay compact to keep the attackers from Al Wahda at bay. The Emirati club will back themselves to qualify into the knockouts and have the firepower to mount a strong challenge.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Twitter, Instagram and join our community on Telegram.