The Draw the AFC 2020 Determines the Boss’ Track Once Qualified.. Ahmad Al Shamesi: Al Ain Is A Big Team with Genuine “Continental” History
The Boss Reveals Its New Purple Gift Box with An Asian Flavor at the AFC Seminar 2020
The draw of the AFC Champions League held on Monday 9th December 2019 in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, put the Al Ain First Football Team face to face with the winner of the match scheduled to be held on 21st January 2020 between Kuwait’s Zawraa and Uzbek’s Bunyodkor. Al Ain will join Group D if they win the opponent on 28th January 2020 in the preliminary stage match scheduled to be held at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium. Group C teams include Iran’s Sephan Isfahan, Al Sadd, and the KSA’s Al Nasr”.
Meanwhile, the draw left Al Sharjah, Champion of the Arabian Gulf League 2019, in Group C. This group has Al Duhail, KSA’s Al Taawoun, and Iran’s Persepolis.”
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai will be playing in Group B along with KSA’s Al Hilal, Uzbek’s Pakhtakor, and the winner of the preliminary stage match.
As for the Al Wahda team, they will compete to clinch the qualifying card to join Group A. This group has Al Wahda, Iraq’s Al Shorta, and the two teams qualifying in the preliminary stage 2 and 4.
Ahmed Al Shamsi, Manager of the Al Ain First Football Team and head of the delegation participating in the AFC Champions League 2020 ceremonies and the accompanying workshop held in Kuala Lumpur-Malaysia, stressed that the results of the draw were acceptable and rational. He pointed out that it is a fact that there is no easy match in the world of modern football.
Al Shamsi went on to say: “The Boss will focus on their first confrontation in their journey in the AFC Champions League 2020. The match is to kick off when playing against the winner of the preliminary stage match between Kuwait’s Zawraa and Uzbek’s Bunyodkor.”
He added: “Al Ain is a great team and has a distinct history in the Asian Championship. So, we do not think about the names of the competitors as much as we are focusing on preparing the team to play and achieve the desired big goals and compete to win the title of the next version of the most powerful competition in the Asian continent with all due respect to the aspirations of all teams participating in the championship.”
“The draw of the AFC Champions League 2020 and the seminar coincides with the “Boss” participation in the FIFA Club World Cup- UAE 2018. It took Al Ain ten days to achieve the best Gulf and UAE achievement since the kickoff of the World Cup. It shows that the team’s reputation is always associated with honorable and exceptional accomplishments when representing our dear homeland,” Al Shamesi stated.
He also hailed the current generation of the team by saying: “Such history and achievements trigger the current generation to push themselves to the limit to add to the history in golden letters new unprecedented achievements locally, continentally and globally. I look forward to seeing Al Ain clinching new titles through the AFC Asian Championship and break new global records soon.”
Commenting on a question on the difference in the players’ registration lists between the local and continental competitions, he said: “Absolutely, the difference lies in the registration of residents and UAE born players in the AFC Champions League. However, the Professionalism Technical Committee and the Croatian head coach, Ivan Leko, are fully aware of the team’s needs in preparation for the Asian challenge.”
“We are fully confident that all the players to be selected to defend the Boss badge in the AFC Champions League would be up to it. Our goal to be realized in the next version is set crystal-clear by the new Board of Directors since the date of being tasked to assume their responsibilities,” Al Shamsi stated.
Al Shamesi concluded by wishing all the best to the team’s players and be able to realize all the set goals and turn the generous sponsorship and support of the Club leadership actual achievements that make all the loyal Ainawi fans happy.
“Purple” Box with Global Flavor
Ahmed Al Shamsi, Manager of Al Ain Team, presented the “Purple Box” designed specially to mark Al Ain FC participation in the AFC Champions League workshop to the Chairman of the AFC Competitions Committee, Shane Mangel, after the end of the AFC Champions League 2020 draw ceremonies. Al Shamsi also presented the gift box to the heads of delegations of the five teams that Al Ain FC is expected to play against until the end of the group stage.
The box contains a CD, which takes the shape of the Al Ain Club logo. The CD displays the most prominent moments of the Boss historical participation in the FIFA Club World Cup- UAE 2018. It includes shots of the goals and great moments since the kickoff of the competition, which witnessed the remontada of the team when they played against New Zealand’s Team Wellington. It also displays the fastest goal in the history of the championship scored by Mohamed Ahmed against Tunisian Esperance, the CAF Champion. Also, it shows shots of the grand victory over the Argentine’s River Plate, Champions of the Copa Libertadores Cup, in addition to the final match when the stars of Real Madrid lined up to do an honorary corridor to greet the runner up team players on their way to the podium to receive the silver medals.
The CD also contains a digital booklet specially designed to mark Al Ain FC participation in the new version of the AFC Champions League 2020. The booklet includes essential historical information about the Club and glimpses of the Club’s participation in the prominent Asian championship, its accomplishments since foundation until to date, as well as information on the stadiums of the Club and Al Ain City and its most famous touristic locations, hotels and airports. The initiative comes in line with the requirements of the AFC, which urges clubs to provide the participants with the essential information that helps them in getting information about the clubs participating in the championship.
The box also contains the club memorial shield, the official jersey of the first football team, and a luxurious pen holding the Al Ain Club logo that was designed by one of the largest and specialised international companies.
