Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Riyadh: Just a year after leading Al Hilal into the Round of 16 of the AFC Champions League, Baniyas coach Gabriel Calderon will be plotting the downfall of the Saudi club in the same stage of the competition on Wednesday.
For the second season in a row, the Argentinian will be coaching a match against one of his former clubs in the last 16 of the AFC Champions League. It did not go too well for either Al Hilal or himself last year when they were beaten 3-1 by Saudi League rivals Al Ittihad, a result that contributed to Calderon’s dismissal by the club despite winning the league and Crown Prince Cup double in his only full season.
He took charge of Baniyas in November and while they have not had a good season in the UAE Pro League, they have done well on their AFC Champions League debut, finishing second in Group B after losing only one game.
“Al Hilal are a strong team and they are favourites to go through especially as they are playing at home and in front of their fans,” said the Argentinian, who led Al Ittihad to the AFC Champions League final in 2009.
“But we will not give up and we want to win in order to continue in the competition.
"I'm happy to return to Riyadh as I have great memories with Al Hilal. However, my team now is Baniyas and I have had great days with this team as well. I hope that we can show a good performance and go through to the quarter-finals."
Baniyas will be boosted by the return of midfielder Sultan Al Ghafri, who missed last week’s 2-0 victory over Pakhtakor through suspension.
Meanwhile, Al Hilal are making their fourth consecutive appearance in the Round of 16 after topping Group D by one point over Iranian side Persepolis FC (formerly known as Piroozi Athletic).
The Saudi club have won six continental titles but have yet to lift the AFC Champions League.
Indeed they have failed to get past the last 16 in two of their previous three appearances in the competition.
"The match against Baniyas will be the most important match for our team and for me personally. Therefore, we will give our best to get a good result and achieve our target of qualifying for the quarter-finals," said coach Ivan Hasek.
"I came to Al Hilal with an aim to win the AFC Champions League so our focus on this competition has been strong and we must go through to the quarter-finals to continue towards our goal.
“We will be playing against a good team and hopefully we can get a good result."