Guangzhou Evergrande will be carrying the hopes of both their supporters and China’s 1.37 billion-strong population when they battle Al Ahli for a second AFC Champions League crown tonight, according to captain Zheng Zhi.
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The Southern China Tigers will host the second leg of the final tonight, a sold-out crowd expected at Tianhe Stadium following the 0-0 draw in Dubai a fortnight ago.
Former Celtic midfielder Zheng, 35, was in the team which defeated FC Seoul to become the continent’s kings in 2013 and he is hopeful of joining Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad as the only clubs to win the tournament twice in its current guise.
“Tomorrow’s match is significant for the team, Guangzhou and Chinese football,” the 2015 Asian Player of the Year nominee said on Friday. “Even though we are playing at home tomorrow, we are starting from the same point.
“After the first leg I believe our rivals are quite qualified with their technique and ability. Of course, we have a basic understanding of their arrangements and characteristics.
“We will set up strategies which will probably handle this situation but we cannot reveal them today. We will find a way to tackle our rivals.”
Guangzhou are hoping to have 2015 ACL top scorer Ricardo Goulart (ankle) fit, and boss Luiz Felipe Scolari says his “great” players will deliver.
Scolari said: “Right now, we are awaiting the return of Ricardo Goulart and since it is quite a big match, all the players will be at their best.
“I have great players and players who are dedicated to the game of football. They are both professional and have passion for football.
“They have dreams and are never afraid of chasing dreams. I really enjoy working with them, that is the reason my players deserve to be here. We hope we can play better than we did in the previous leg and if we can achieve that, I do not think the game will be a challenge for us.”
