DUBAI // Grafite, the Al Ahli captain, said the club will be stronger from their Asian Champions League disappointment this season.
The Dubai club, so dominant domestically as they recently sealed both the Arabian Gulf League and the Arabian Gulf Cup crowns, last week experienced their first significant setback on the pitch this campaign when they lost 2-1 to Al Sadd in Qatar.
Ahli needed to avoid defeat in the final fixture in Group D to progress to the competition’s knockout stages for the first time.
However, the reverse at Doha, coupled with Al Hilal’s 1-0 win against Sepahan, resulted in the UAE champions finishing third in the tightly congested pool, with seven points from six matches.
Ahli were in a tough group, as each of their opponents are vastly experienced in Asia, with Hilal and Sadd past champions. Hilal lifted the trophy in 1999 and 2000, and Sadd won it in 2011.
Despite the frustration in failing to advance, Ahli will take heart from their contribution, especially in registering a 2-1 triumph at Sepahan in March. The victory in Iran was Ahli’s first on the road in the Champions League in 14 attempts.
Grafite insisted his teammates should be proud of their performance, and the Brazilian, who scored three goals in six Champions League matches, has backed the club to do even better when they return to the competition in 2015.
“We’re disappointed about the Champions League result because we expected to pass to the next stage, but this is football,” Grafite said. “We knew about the quality of Al Sadd and we did our best. Our group was very hard. We were playing against Al Hilal, who have won it, and Al Sadd, too. But we drew in Hilal, drew against them here and we also won against Sepahan.
“We got seven points in our group, which I believe was the strongest in the west Asian side. But we did well. It will be a good experience for us next year.”
Of course, Ahli can still conclude the season on a positive note. They face Al Ain in the President’s Cup final on May 18 and, should they win, Ahli will become the first side to seal all three domestic trophies in the same year.
“Sure, the President’s Cup is our target,” Grafite said. “Despite the Champions League, we’re still the strongest team in the UAE.”
jmcauley@thenational.ae
Follow us on twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
