Abu dhabi: Al Duhail's Algerian Head Coach, Djamel Belmadi, affirmed his team's readiness to face the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) Al Wahda FC, in their match at Abu Dhabi's Al Nahyan Stadium on Monday. The game is part of the 3rd round of the AFC Champions League Elite tournament.

According to Qatar News Agency, Al Duhail currently possesses one point, having lost their first match against Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal 2-1, and drawn with Saudi Arabia's Al Ahli 2-2 in their second match. Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Belmadi noted that Al Duhail will face a strong opponent, yet, the team will seek to secure their first win in this season's continental competition, he asserted.

Despite the challenge of not having a number of team members among their ranks due to the international break, Al Duhail players are ready and focused, having prepared well for tomorrow's game, the Head Coach said. Belmadi added that Al Duhail's performance in the previous two matches cannot be judged based on the fact that they only gained one point, as Al Duhail played two tough matches against the strong Saudi teams of Al Hilal and Al Ahli.

Their match against Al Wahda FC will also be a difficult one, he continued, noting that the team will need to stay highly focused. Commenting on the match against Al Wahda FC, Al Duhail's Head Coach said the Emirati side has very competent players, will be playing at home, and has managed to defeat Saudi Arabia's Al Ittihad and draw with Iran's Tractor FC, which is why Al Duhail needs to be mentally prepared and must strike a balance between attack and defense.

Belmadi also announced that striker Almoez Ali will miss the match due to injury. Meanwhile, Al Duhail player Bassam Al Rawi stressed the importance of achieving a positive result in the match against Al Wahda FC, highlighting that all Al Duhail players are eager to give their best and work hard to return with the desired outcome of earning their first win in the 3rd round of the AFC Champions League Elite.