The 2016 AFC Cup final will be held in Doha on November 5th at the Saoud bin Abdulrahman Stadium, Al Wakrah, Qatar and will be contested between Air Force Club from Iraq and JSW Bengaluru from India.
Bengaluru FC made their way to the final overcoming reigning champions Johor Darul Takzim, 4-2 on aggregate in the semi-final, while Air Force Club overcame Lebanon’s Al Ahed 4-3 on aggregate in the other semi-final to book their place in the final.
Air Force Club Iraq are first timers in the competition after they finished fourth in the Iraqi Premier League and made it all the way to the finals in their very first attempt. Their opposition Bengaluru FC made history by becoming the first Indian club to make an AFC Cup final in only their fourth year of existence as a professional outfit.
Here we take a took at the five talking points ahead of the eagerly anticipated final in Doha.
#5 No Amrinder Singh for BFC
Bengaluru FC manager, Alberto Roca, will be without his number one shot stopper Amrinder Singh, who is suspended for final after picking up a yellow card for time wasting against JDT. That was the shot-stopper’s second yellow card in two games, adding to the booking he held coming into the second leg semi-final against JDT at the Kanteerava.
The keeper has been in superb form for the Blues on their road to the final. Singh picked up clean sheets in both legs against Tampines Rovers in the quarter-finals, backed up by solid performances against JDT, home and away in the semi-finals.
His replacement for the final will be second choice goalkeeper Ralte, who was the number one keeper for the Blues under Ashley Westwood in the club’s second season in the I-League. Ralte will make his second appearance in the tournament after he played in the 5-3 home win against Ayeyawady FC in the group stages of the competition.
#4 No Bashar Resan and Saad Natif for Air Force Club Iraq
Air Force Club Iraq manager Basim Qasim will be without key midfielder Bashar Resan, who was sent off in the semi-final second leg against Al Ahed, ruling him out of the clash with the Indian champions.
The Iraqis will also be without defender Saad Natif who is unavailable for the clash due to his participation with the national squad ahead of their 2018 World Cup qualifiers. The unavailability of these two players will be a vital blow to the Iraqi club.
The Air Force Club consists mostly of Iraqis, although only a few have gone on to represent the nation.
#3 Hammadi Ahmad - top scorer in the competition
The tournament’s top scorer with 15 goals in 10 appearances, Hammadi Ahmad, will be awarded the golden boot and will be the biggest threat to Bengaluru FC’s defence. He can do to Bengaluru FC’s what he’s done to so many other teams faced in this year’s AFC Cup, scoring goals for fun.
A poacher inside the box, any half chance and the Iraqi buries it into the back of the net with ease
Bengaluru FC has defended well under their new manager, Albert Roca, and the side have looked solid at the back with the arrival of Juan Antonio to the Indian side to.
Ahmad will look to add to his tally in the final, and the Iraqi’s will be hoping to regularly feed the ball into the path of the striker, who despite being the tournament’s leading goalscorer, has not earned a spot in the national team.
#2 Both first-time finalists
The 2016 AFC Cup final will feature both teams making it to the finals for the first time.
Air Force Club have competed in the AFC Champions League in the past but has never made it past the group stages of the competition.
The Indian side, Bengaluru FC has done what no other Indian club has ever achieved, making it to the final of an Asian club competition.
In his post match comments after the historic night in Bengaluru, where they sealed their spot in the final after a commanding victory over JDT, manager Roca claimed the club is aiming to clinch to the trophy in Doha.
#1 History beckons
For the winner of the clash on November 5th in Doha, the title of AFC Cup champions will be coupled with a spot to feature in the qualifying stages of the AFC Champions League next season.
Bengaluru FC will look to shake up the established order by being one of the youngest clubs in Asia to win the AFC Cup, while Air Force Club will want to finally add an AFC trophy to their kitty.
Alberto Roca and Basim Qasim will face the biggest test of their professional careers in the final of the 2016 AFC Cup, with both managers looking to guide their respective teams to their first Asian Cup triumph.
One of the teams will fall in the final in Doha, leaving the other to remember the 5th of November forever.
