GLOBAL FC’s hopes of upsetting Brisbane Roar in Tuesday night’s AFC Champions League playoff at Suncorp Stadium could rest on the shoulders of a player who last year scored goals for fun for the Capalaba Bulldogs.
Ahamad Azzawi, of Iraqi heritage but born in Japan, this month signed for the Filipino club on the back of his 22 goals for the Bulldogs in the 2016 Brisbane Premier League competition.
While Capalaba finished mid-table, Azzawi’s goalscoring feats earned him BPL player-of-the year honours.
The 22-year-old attacking weapon has already delivered for Global, scoring in their 2-0 win over Singapore club Tampines Rovers last week.
That victory earnt Global a shot at the Roar, with the winner of this match to head to China next week to take on Shanghai Shenhua for a spot in the Champions League group stages.
Azzawi isn’t the only Global player with an Australian connection.
Midfielder Yianni Perkatis, 22, made eight A-League appearances for Western Sydney Wanderers between 2013 and 2015, while 25-year-old Shu Sasaki played in NSW competitions for Marconi and the Blacktown Spartans.
But regardless of who plays for Global, the Roar will start the match as almost unbackable favourites. On Monday they were at $1.17 with UBET, while the visitors were the outsiders at $12.
That’s despite Brisbane coach John Aloisi intending to rest a host of players who started in the Roar’s 2-1 weekend A-League win over the Wanderers.
“During this period, I have to rotate players and make sure that I freshen players up but the side that we put out will be a side that is going to be really strong and a side that is there to win,” said Aloisi, whose team is also in action on Friday night when they host Sydney FC at Suncorp Stadium.
It means the likes of midfielders Brett Holman and Jacob Pepper, attacker Manuel Arana and goalkeeper Jamie Young, who were all among the substitutes against the Wanderers, are likely starters.
Fullback Corey Brown, who missed the weekend win through suspension, and fringe players Joey Katebian, Nick D’Agostino, Dane Ingham and Cameron Crestani might also be in line for selection tonight.
Roar skipper Matt McKay said the whole Brisbane squad was preparing as if they were going to play.
“I’m disappointed we didn’t qualify directly (for the Champions League group stages),” McKay said.
“We had that chance at the end of last season but moving on from that … at home we want to get results, and to do that, to get in the (group stages of the) competition, we’ve got to have good performances.
“The first one’s (against) Global. If we get past that, that’s great. If we can perform and execute the way we want to play, then we’re going to be hard to stop.”
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