Al Ain’s Fayez brothers set their sights on ACL glory
The AFC Website: Brothers Mohammed and Fawzi Fayez are hoping to make it a family celebration to remember on Saturday with the defensive duo looking to help hosts Al Ain to Asian glory, when they take on Korea Republic’s Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the 2016 AFC Champions League final second leg.
The full-backs both featured in the starting line-up last weekend in the 2-1 first leg defeat in Jeonju and are likely to again find themselves in Zlatko Dalic’s starting eleven at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, where Al Ain will seek to become just the second side to turn around a first-leg deficit in the AFC Champions League since Al Ittihad in the 2004 edition.
And with their father, Fayez Subait, being a former player of the Garden City club, the pair are in no doubt how meaningful bringing home Asian glory to the Fayez household would be.
“God willing we can lift the title on Saturday and it would be a happy day for us, Al Ain fans, and the whole United Arab Emirates nation. Most importantly for our mother; she is always praying for success in our careers,” said elder brother and right-back Fawzi, who as a teenager was part of the 2003 AFC Champions League-winning squad.
“We are very proud of our father and his achievements with Al Ain; we are following in his footsteps,” added left-back Mohammed (pictured, right), two years Fawzi’s junior. “When you see your father has his own accomplishments you will be inspired to follow his path and achieve your own success.”
Standing in their path are a Jeonbuk team that are looking to lift their second continental title since 2006 and exorcise demons from their most recent appearance in the AFC Champions League final, a penalty shootout loss to Qatar’s Al Sadd five years ago.
The Fayez brothers, though, are confident that it will be Al Ain, not their guests, that will be the ones crowned Asia’s champions for a second time, and end their 13-year wait since they claimed the inaugural AFC Champions League title.
“Jeonbuk are a strong team, especially as they have reached the AFC Champions League final. They have good players and ability, but there is nobody in their team we can’t stop,” said Mohammed.
“Of course they had the advantage in the first leg, they were playing in their home ground, but on Saturday we will be at our best.”
Fawzi added: “With due respect to Jeonbuk, who are a good team, they were below my expectations. We thought they’d be very strong, but they were not exceptional. They had some skilful players including the Brazilian [Leonardo] on the left-side, but on our field we should have the advantage.
“Winning the AFC Champions League means your name will be written down in history as one of the players who won the AFC Champions League and it will be written in gold, and this will happen, God willing, on Saturday.”
