Yojiro Takahagi (L) of the Western Sydney Wanderers and Zheng Zhi (R) of Guangzhou Evergrande contest the ball during the Asian Champions League at Parramatta Stadium in Sydney, March 4, 2015. (Photo : Getty Images)
Chinese soccer team Guangzhou Evergrande’s skipper Zheng Zhi remains confident of winning the 2015 AFC Champions League despite the goalless draw in the first leg against their Saudi rival Al Ahli.
Captain Zheng said that Guangzhou Evergrande, who where the 2013 AFC League champions, will bag their second title in three years on Saturday at Guangzhou's Tianhe Sport Centre Stadium in spite of their draw with Al Ahli in Dubai earlier this month.
Zheng, who is a former AFC Player of the Year, led Guangzhou to their fifth consecutive Chinese Super League title in October and has been in fine form after scoring a crucial goal against Japan's Gamba Osaka in the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League.
Zheng nearly had his second goal of the 2015 tournament in the first leg at Rashid Stadium, but Al Ahli goalkeeper Ahmed Mahmoud blocked the midfielder's 25th-minute volley with a one-handed save to leave Guangzhou with a goalless draw in Dubai.
"The 0-0 result from the first leg is an equal result and, although we didn't win, it is an acceptable one for us as it was an away match," said 35-year-old Zheng. "All my teammates are still confident that we will win the game in Guangzhou."
Zheng took up the captainship two years ago as Guangzhou lifted their first AFC Champions League crown to end China's 23-year drought for a continental title after Liaoning defeated Japan's Nissan FC to win the 1990 Asian Club Championship.
Guangzhou also bagged the first leg of the 2013 final against South Korea's FC Seoul before securing the result needed at home in the return meeting to win by away goals.
"The key thing is we still have the decisive game at our own stadium in order to win the tournament, and we will need to prepare very seriously," said Zheng, whose side will now have Kim Young-gwon available after the Korean center-back missed the first leg due to a suspension.
"There is no advantage for either team in terms of scoreline, so we have to prepare well get the championship once again," Zheng added.
Guangzhou was unbeaten in the last 27 games in all competitions stretching back to their victory against South Korea's Seongnam FC in Round 16 in May. The team has also yet to lose a game under Brazilian FIFA World Cup-winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.
And despite their loss at a home game against 2014 champions Western Sydney Wanderers in the group stage, Guangzhou has yet to lose a continental knockout game at Tianhe, although a score-draw would be enough for Al Ahli to deny them China's third continental club title on away goals.
