Olaroiu tells his men to enjoy the atmosphere

Abu Dhabi - Al Ahli will be looking to join Arabian Gulf League rivals Al Ain as the only other UAE team to have won the competition.

As Al Ahli players walk through the tunnel and onto the lush green pitch on Saturday, the Tianhe Sport Centre Stadium will resemble a cauldron.
Their AFC Champions League final return leg against Guangzhou Evergrande in the south Chinese city of Guangzhou is a sell out with around 50,000 fans expected and it will be a test of nerves for the Dubai club.
Nevertheless, Al Ahli coach Cosmin Olaroiu told his men to go out and enjoy the atmosphere and added they would not be afraid in their quest to become the champions of Asia. "It is a pleasure and it does not happen every time, and that is why we have to enjoy it. I am sure they will not be afraid and they will play a good game," Olaroiu said.
This is the first time that the Red Knights are in the final of premier Asian club competition and are on the brink of winning it after a goalless draw in the first leg at the Rashid Stadium in Dubai.
Olaroiu pointed out that they have played in such environments before and that will hold them in good stead when they face a Guangzhou Evergrande team, aiming for a second title in three years.
"We have played in Iran and in Riyadh against Al Hilal where we had a full stadium with a lot of pressure, so I hope the players will enjoy playing in a full stadium and the supporters of Guangzhou will not affect them," said the Romanian. The Red Knights played against Iran's Tractorsazi Tabriz and Naft Tehran away before scoring a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia's A Hilal in their semifinal second leg at the King Fahd International Stadium.
Guangzhou Evergrande are unbeaten at home in the knockout stage of the competition and Al Ahli too have an unbeaten streak of their own. The Red Knights are unbeaten in eight games, including the first leg in Dubai. Al Ahli will be looking to join Arabian Gulf League rivals Al Ain as the only other UAE team to have won the competition. Al Ain were the inaugural winners in 2003. And Olaroiu's men need a score-draw to do that. A score-draw in regulation time will hand Al Ahli the title without the need for extra-time or penalties.
"Our strategy was not just to not concede goals in the first leg, it was one of the points we were looking for, but when you play you want to win and take an advantage. Unfortunately we didn't score, but at least we hit one of the targets which was to not concede a goal. Now we know to win the trophy we have to score, and this will be our main target in this game," he said.
Meanwhile, Mohammed Thani Murshed Al Romaithi, Vice Chairman of the UAE Football Association and Chairman of the Pro League Committee, said that Al Ahli will be flying the flag for UAE football. "The match might be played in just 90 minutes, but its result would be worth a lifetime of achievements for Al Ahli, so the players and technical staff are well aware of the weight of the responsibility they hold in order to enter the Asian Hall of Fame, and to enhance the reputation of UAE football on the continental and international stage," Mohammed Thani Murshed Al Romaithi said.
"Such an achievement would be a benchmark in Emirati football, providing clear evidence of the progress made since entering the era of the professional game in 2008," he added. And Al Romaithi compared Al Ahli to the three-year-old club Western Sydney Wanderers, who won the title last year.
"In last year's Final, it was anticipated that Al Hilal would win due to their long list of achievements and their history and experience. But Western Sydney Wanderers sprung a surprise despite being just a three-year-old club. Therefore, all the circumstances surrounding this year's final gives Al Ahli the motivation they need to achieve dreams," he said.