Sharjah trains on artificial turf to adapt to Al-Istiqlal Stadium

The Sharjah Club first football team delegation will leave for the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, today, in preparation for facing the Esteghlal team, the day after tomorrow, in the group stage of the AFC Champions League for clubs “2” within Group Three, which includes, in addition to the team and Esteghlal, both the Iranian Sepahan and the Jordanian Al-Wehdat.

Sharjah conducted training on the artificial turf pitch, so that the players could get used to the grounds of the Central Republic Stadium, where the match will be held at 8 pm UAE time.

It is noteworthy that Sharjah qualified to play in the group stage of the continental championship, after finishing fourth in the ADNOC Professional League during the last football season, during which Al Wasl was crowned league champion.

Sharjah currently occupies second place in the ADNOC Professional League standings after the end of the second round, while the Tajikistani team Istiklol tops the Tajik League standings.

Sharjah’s recent training sessions witnessed the participation of all the team’s players, including the new Brazilian player, Peru, whose presence represents a new addition to the “King”.

Sharjah coach, Romanian Cosmin, is aware of the difficulty of the team’s mission away from home at the beginning of its journey in this tournament, as it faces a strong team that is considered one of the best teams in Tajikistan, and includes in its ranks a large number of Tajikistan national team players.

Cosmin is counting on the high morale of the players following the positive results that Sharjah has been achieving since the beginning of the season, after winning four matches, including two matches in the ADNOC Professional League against Dibba Al-Hisn and Ittihad Kalba, as well as two matches in the Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank Cup against Khorfakkan.

The Eastern team includes a group of players who can make a difference during the upcoming match, led by Caio Lucas, Othman Camara, Luan Pereira, and Firas Al Arabi, in addition to other players in the defense and midfield lines.