Conditions not a factor says Al-Sadd’s Sanchez before Kawasaki clash

JEDDAH: Al-Sadd coach Felix Sanchez dismissed suggestions his side’s familiarity with the conditions in Jeddah will give the Qataris an advantage over Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale when the teams meet in Sunday’s quarter-finals of the Asian Champions League Elite.

Day-time temperatures in the Saudi Arabian city have hit 37 degrees Celsius ahead of the meeting at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City, with the squad from nearby Doha attempting to win the title for the first time since 2011.

“We’re in our region, we are close to home but, once you are on the field, it’s a football game,” said Sanchez.

“We are only focused on ourselves. We represent Al-Sadd, we represent Qatar and we want to make us proud of what we’re going to do in the next days.

“We are going to face Kawasaki from Japan, a very good team, a top level team. That’s why they’re here and we’re only focused on what will happen in the game.”

Sanchez will be looking to complete a personal double by leading Al-Sadd to the continental club title six years after steering Qatar’s national team to the Asian Cup, when his team defeated Japan in the final.

The Spaniard’s Al-Sadd side are not considered one of the favourites in a competition that has been dominated by big-spending Saudi Pro League clubs and he stressed he will not be looking beyond the clash with the J-League side.

“We have arrived here with the objective to go far and win the title,” he said. “We are focused on every game. Tomorrow we have a final and, after that, if we are able to go on in the competition, we’ll think about the next game.

“We cannot think about winning the title. We are confident in our possibilities but tomorrow is our final.”

Kawasaki are appearing in the quarter-finals for the third time having never progressed further.

Coach Shigetoshi Hasebe took over at the start of the year before guiding the team through the last 16 with victory over China’s Shanghai Shenhua.

“The temperature is very similar to the summer in Japan, the hottest time,” Hasebe said of the conditions.

“I’m not very surprised by that. But we have to adjust to the time difference too. We were able to arrive here early and we have been able to adjust to the temperature and we’re ready for that.

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“Our target, of course, is to win the next three games and win the title, but for now the most important thing is tomorrow’s game. We have to win the first game.”