Bonacic has eye on the prize

AFCCL – While he acknowledges that just reaching the AFC Champions League final is a great achievement for his team, Sepahan coach Luka Bonacic insists that he wants nothing less than to lift the title.

The Esfahan club have become the first Iranian team to reach the final of Asia’s premier club competition and entertain Urawa Reds of Japan on Wednesday in the first leg of the final at Foolad Shahr Stadium.

“Tomorrow is a great, great day in the history of the Sepahan club as we are playing in the final of the AFC Champions League,” said Bonacic in the pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

“We are feeling very relaxed because just for our team to get to the final is already a big step for us.

“But there is a saying that if you go to Rome and you don’t see the Pope, then it’s no good. So because we are in the final, we must try to win this cup.”

The match against Urawa marks the second time that Sepahan have faced Japanese opposition in this season’s competition following their quarter-final clash against Kawasaki Frontale.

And having seen his side dominated over two goalless matches by last season’s J.League runners-up before eventually prevailing in a penalty shoot-out, Bonacic expects an even tougher encounter against the reigning J.League and Emperor’s Cup champions.

“It will not be easy for us as we already have the experience of playing against another Japanese team, Kawasaki.

“They may be a good team but right now, Urawa are the best club in Japan and they have an excellent team and a very good German coach.

“They are in first place in the J.League and they are the champions. They have better finishers up front with Washington, who has scored 15 goals, and (Tatsuya) Tanaka, who has 11.

“And they have plenty of quality with three Japan national team players in their squad.”

Bonacic knows that his side must improve on their performance against Frontale if they hope to get past the rampant Reds.

“I don’t think that we played very well in our match against Kawasaki because they were a better team than us.

“We did not perform well but tomorrow is a new day and a new match. The ball is round, nobody knows what will happen and I hope that we play better than we did against Kawasaki.

“It’s not every day that you get to play in a final.”

Midfielder Hadi Jafari is suspended after picking up his second yellow card of the knockout stage during the second leg of the semi-finals against Al Wahda two weeks ago, but Bonacic said that the Iranian side will otherwise be at full strength for the game.

“Hadi Jafari is suspended but otherwise everything is okay with the team as far as injuries are concerned and we are ready for the game.

“I’m not too concerned that he (Jafari) is out because we always plan our game with 14 to 16 players in mind.

“(Striker) Syed Salehi is not 100% fit but we will see (if he can play). Of course we would like that because last season he was our best player and our top scorer.”

And having missed the second leg of the semi-finals due to national team commitments, Iraq international forward Emad Mohammed is set to return to the Sepahan line-up for the biggest game in the club’s history.

“Emad missed our last game because he was playing for Iraq in the World Cup qualifiers but he re-joined our team after we returned from Abu Dhabi and he has had one week of special training with us.

“We need him because he is a very good player and I think that tomorrow he can help us.”