Al Ain face travel chaos for their AFC Champions League quarter-final decider against Al Ittihad, after their opponent’s request for a change of venue was accepted hours before the Boss were due to fly to Saudi Arabia.
Zlatko Dalic’s men, who hold a 2-0 lead following last week’s stunning first-leg display at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, were scheduled to board a private jet from Al Ain Airport destined for Jeddah at 18:00. But their departure was delayed until 21:00 after the Asian Football Confederation commissioner, Gautam Kar, granted Ittihad’s late request to move the fixture to King Abdul Aziz Sport City in Mecca.
Ittihad cited concerns that the newly-opened King Abdullah Sport City Stadium was not ready to host Tuesday’s match as reason for the venue move.
This development means the Garden City outfit will have to move their base to Ta’if, forcing an approximately 90-kilometre diversion as non-Muslim players such as star striker Asamoah Gyan would not be able to make the journey directly from Jeddah through the holy city and on to the new ground.
The announcement came shortly after the governing body rejected the Saudi club's appeal against a ban for their supporters attending the tie, following disruption in their round of 16 triumph against Al Shabab Riyadh.
The game will still be played behind closed doors, despite the switch.
Dalic’s men faced the same draining trip in March’s 2-1 group-stage defeat, with the King Abdullah only officially opening three months ago.
The extra travel time is likely to mount up, with AFC regulations stating that a press conference featuring the Croatian coach and a member of his squad must occur the day before kick-off at or near the home ground. For example, Al Ain put on their pre-match media commitments at the Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium in the lead up to the first-leg.
Omar Abdulrahman and Gyan will again be charged to lead the push, with the latter hailing the former’s playmaking ability following a masterclass in the opener.
“We understand each other very well,” Gyan said.
“Every time he gets the ball I know what he’s trying to do, I’m always ready – it’s not the first time.
“The communication between us is really, really good and what matters is to finish well.
“When you’re a striker and you get a lot of quality passes like that and you don’t finish, then the work goes unrewarded. So I’ve got to just do my job.”
Al Ain are aiming to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2005, when they were ultimately beaten in the final by Ittihad.
The 2003 ACL winners’ summer signing Mohammed Fawzi has travelled with the 25-man squad, despite the versatile midfielder picking up an ankle-ligament injury making a late clearance in the first leg. The UAE international had been expected to be sidelined for seven to 10 days.
