RIYADH: Saudi sides lead the charge towards the AFC Champions League title this week with Al-Shabab hosting Korea's Seongnam Ilhwa and Al-Hilal traveling to Zobohan in Iran for the semifinals. Shabab is fancied to make the Tokyo showpiece on Nov. 13 with most of its team for Tuesday's first-leg match in Riyadh Saudi internationals. Striker Nassir Al-Shamrani, brothers Ahmed Otaif and Abdu Otaif, keeper Waleed Abdullah and full-backs Hassan Muath and Abdullah Shuhail are national team regulars, while Fahad Hamad was recently called up. Omar Al-Ghamdi, the 2006 World Cup midfielder signed from Hilal in the summer, Abdulmalek Al-Khaibri and former Korean international Song Chong-gug are central midfield options. Posing problems for Seongnam up front will be Uruguayan striker Juan Manual Olivera, a recent arrival who showed his goalscoring pedigree with his first Saudi league goal in last week's 2-1 league win over Najran. But the host, nicknamed the “White Lions”, will be without Brazilian center-back Marcelo Tavares, who is suspended following two yellow cards. South Korea had four teams in the last eight but is now down to one with Seongnam, the country's most successful club with seven K-League titles, left to fly the flag. Shin Tae-yong's men traveled to Riyadh Friday and will be inspired by Jeonbuk Motors' 1-0 win over Shabab at the King Fahd International Stadium two weeks ago, although the visitors lost 2-1 on aggregate. Shin has moulded an organized unit and has a strong squad to call on. Mauricio Molina, a former Colombia international, and Montenegrin target man Dzenan Radoncic have netted five and four goals respectively in Asia this year and will be a danger, while Kim Cheol-ho and Cheon Kwang-jin control midfield. On Wednesday, Iranian league leader Zobahan host Saudi champion Al-Hilal in their semifinal first leg. Zobahan is looking to continue its remarkable AFC Champions League run as it bids to emulate fellow Esfahan club Sepahan who reached the final three years ago. But the Greens take on Hilal, one of Asia's biggest clubs, without former international Mahdi Rajabzadeh, who is suspended after being sent off in the quarterfinal second leg against holder Pohang Steelers. Zobahan coach Mansour Ebrahimzadeh also has concerns in defense after Iran center-back Farshid Talebi missed last week's scoreless draw with Rah Ahan. It has its work cut out against Hilal, which is in fine form, claiming its fifth straight win of the Saudi league season Friday. Hilal is Saudi Arabia's most successful club with 12 league titles in 34 years. It has also won the former Asian Club Championship in 1991 and 2000 and the Asian Cup Winners' Cup twice, in 1997 and 2002, but has yet to lift the AFC Champions League, a title its fans desperately want. – Agence France
