Advice from 'Gwangju Son Heung-min' who experienced Euro...Asani, "You can enjoy it in Saudi Arabia"
Advice from 'Gwangju Son Heung-min' who experienced Euro...Asani, "You can enjoy it in Saudi Arabia"
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"You can enjoy it, you can win if you do what you do."
Asani expressed his expectations for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League elite quarterfinals in an interview after the ninth round of the "Hana Bank K League 1 2025" between FC Seoul and Gwangju FC at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 19th.
Gwangju led the game with Hayes' first goal in the 42nd minute of the first half and Park Tae-joon's goal in the 18th minute of the second half. Seoul followed with Lingard's goal in the 33rd minute of the second half, but it was not enough and Gwangju won five consecutive games against Seoul.
Asani was replaced by Gabriel in the 12th minute of the second half of the day. There was no offensive point, but Asani revitalized the team despite the intensive checks of the Seoul defense.
Asani is the hero who led Gwangju to the quarterfinals at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League. He scored multiple goals in the second round match of the round of 16 strongest teams against Vissel Kobe of Japan held at Gwangju World Cup Stadium on June 12, completing a 3-2 total score reversal drama.
Gwangju, which lost 0-2 in the first away match, took the lead at home with Park Jung-in's header first goal in the 18th minute of the first half. Asani scored a penalty kick in the 40th minute of the second half, the game was tied 2-2 and the game went to extra time.
In a match that is likely to be headed for a penalty shootout, Asani shook the net with a dramatic left-footed shot in the 13th minute of the second half, leading Gwangju to the quarterfinals.
From the quarter-finals, teams from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, will gather to play a single match. Gwangju will be selected as the same match as Saudi prestigious club Al-Hilal and will clash at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah at 1:30 a.m. on the 26th.
Asani, who is heading to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, expressed high expectations. "I'm happy and it's going to be a really difficult game because we're going to face a team that is one of the biggest Saudi clubs and boasts an incredible level. A lot of fans will come and watch the game. Everyone will think that Al-Hilal will prevail," he said.
"Since we have Gwangju's own level and confidence, we will compete as a challenger, and I think we will enjoy it a lot. I think we will be able to bring good results if we enjoy what we shared among our players and enjoy the moment," he said.
Asani, an Albanian national team player, played in UEFA Euro 2024 last year and already experienced how to fight high-quality opponents.
When asked what kind of mindset he thought he needed, he said, "I played against a really world-class national team in Germany and it was always a difficult game. You don't have to stress too much and just come out on the field and enjoy the time. You never know how the game will go. Whether you're starting or on the bench or not, you just have to enjoy this moment because it's important that we go there and play."
He added, "It's a really big history for our team. If we advance to the next stage, the games after that will be very, very important. We need to focus from tomorrow to prepare for the match against Al-Hilal. We don't know what will happen to football. I told everyone that we should enjoy this game."
Asani recalled the match against Yokohama, the first Champions League elite match. "We are writing history. It would have been the case against Yokohama," he said. "I believed in this team. We have a lot of really young players and great quality. It would be easier if we played our soccer. And I think if all the players become one from the very beginning, we can win the game. It's because it's hard if even one player doesn't concentrate 100 percent." 메이저사이트
"I think our players focused until the last minute today, and that's why we made a big history and we all became one. We just have to go to Saudi Arabia and play the same soccer that we play. Whether it's the K-League or the Champions League, we have to play the same game," he stressed.