Proud Al Ahli's Cosmin Olaroiu taking positives from defeat

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  • Silver lining: Cosmin Olaroiu believes it’s just the beginning for his side.

    Al Ahli boss Cosmin Olaroiu has insisted lessons learned from a painful AFC Champions League final defeat can help lift the club to new heights.

    The Red Knights fell to a 1-0 aggregate defeat to Guangzhou Evergrande on Saturday, Elkeson’s inventive strike at Tianhe Stadium proving the difference between West and East Asia’s finest teams.

    – AFC: Al Ahli go down fighting against Guangzhou Evergrande
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    “We have to say congratulations to Guangzhou for winning the trophy,” the 46-year-old said.

    “We were near, we tried our best. We played very well in the first half. We had a few chances that we missed.

    “They did a fantastic job, even if they don’t win the trophy they make a very good image for Middle Eastern football and they deserve to be here and they deserve what they got.

    “Of course, it’s not easy to lose in the final. It’s not easy to play two times with one man less [right-back Abulaziz Haikal was dismissed in the goalless first leg in Dubai and centre-back Salmeen Khamis in Guangzhou].

    “It’s a point from where we have to start. We see some limits today, we see some problems.

    “Only these kinds of games show us how strong we are. It’s not the end of the way, it’s the point from where we have to start to fix the problems.”

    The Red Knights’ mettle will now be tested during a fearsome topflight run, which begins on Thursday with a trip to Al Shabab prior to games against Al Jazira and champions Al Ain.

    UAE forward and 2015 Asian Player of the Year nominee Ahmed Khalil insists his side would not let the continental loss affect them during the challenges ahead.

    “We played a good game today, but we did not win,” said the 24-year-old.

    “We tried. Inshallah, for the rest of the season we must push more. Everyone played well today. But we have to continue for this season. We must not stop.”

    The slender defeat saw Ahli’s historic first run in the knockout stages falter at the last hurdle and deny them a place in next month’s Club World Cup in Osaka.

    Southern China Tigers boss Luiz Felipe Scolari channelled United States President Barack Obama when he revealed his excitement at the imminent chance to pit his team against the global elite.

    He said: “My next target is actually the Club World Cup. And why not? Because I have such a great team, great players and a great club and so of course we can realise that dream.

    “I will end my comment with a famous saying: ‘Yes, we can’. Of course, you know who said that.

    “But congratulations also to Al Ahli, because they have great quality. In life we have happy days and not so happy days, but tonight I have a wonderful night.”

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