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Tribune News Network
Doha
Qatar's El Jaish will take on UAE club Al Nasr in the AFC Champions League quarter-finals in Dubai on Wednesday.
El Jaish had secured a place in Asia's premier club competition the hard way by having to beat Naft Tehran 2-0 in the play-off stage.
After victories in their first three outings, they went without a win in the remainder of the Group Stage but had still done enough to advance as winners of Group D.
Next up for them was a last-16 clash with fellow Qatari side Lekhwiya and they eventually progressed with a 6-4 aggregate triumph, winning the initial encounter 4-0 before suffering a 4-2 defeat in the second leg.
A key player for El Jaish would be Uzbekistan forward Sardor Rashidov has enjoyed his best AFC Champions League campaign to date, justifying his move from Bunyodkor to Qatari side El Jaish last year.
Now in his sixth continental campaign, despite only recently turning 25, Rashidov has never made it further than the last 16 and so will be doubly-determined to keep El Jaish's Asian adventure alive during the quarter-final stage and beyond.
Rashidov scored the only goal in the group stage win against Nasaf whilst also firing home in the Round of 16 second leg meeting with Lekhwiya as El Jaish defeated their Qatar Stars League rival 6-4 on aggregate.
A star for his national team as well as his club side, with the FIFA 2018 World Cup Qualifiers due to kick-off in September Rashidov could well be in for busy few months ahead.
A goalscorer, as well as a creator, Rashidov netted nine times in 23 appearances in the 2015-16 domestic campaign for El Jaish as they finished runners-up to Al Rayyan.
Direct on the ball, and boasting height, strength and pace, the left-footed Rashidov also possesses good technique and is a danger from set-pieces.
With Morocco striker Abderrazzaq Hamedallah suffering a knee injury, the onus may well be on Brazilian forward Romarinho to provide the goals and his brace in the Round of 16 against Lekhwiya suggests he can bear that mantle.
In midfield, El Jaish have both Qatari youth and experience in 2014 AFC U-19 Championship MVP Ahmed Moein and striker Magid Mohamed who has over 75 international caps.
Meanwhile, El Jaish got on board two-time UEFA Champions League winner Seydou Keita to bolster their chase of the first-ever Asian title.
The 36-year-old Malian midfielder joins the 2015-16 Qatar Stars League runners-up in time for AFC CL quarter-final meeting with Al Nasr.
Keita appeared 180 times in four seasons for Pep Guardiola's all-conquering Barcelona team, and twice scaled the heights of European football with Champions League titles in 2009 and 2011.
The Catalan giants also won the Spanish league title in three of Keita's four seasons at the Camp Nou.
Keita is also no stranger to Asian football, having spent two seasons in China with Dalian Aerbin before returning to Europe in 2013 for spells with Valencia and then Roma.
The Emirati club Al Nasr will be banking on the seasoned Jires Kembo Ekoko to deliver the goods against El Jaish.
Born in Congo but raised in France, 28-year-old Ekoko has been a regular fixture in club football in the United Arab Emirates since joining Al Ain in 2012 from French side Rennes.
Kembo Ekoko spent three seasons at Al Ain one of which was on loan with Qatar's El Jaish before signing last summer for Al Nasr and taking part in his fourth edition of the AFC Champions League.
He scored 11 times in all competitions last season, with nine in the UAE league and one in the AFC Champions League, a fine individual effort in the Group Stage against Lokomotiv.
