JEDDAH: Having ended the AFC Champions League Elite dreams of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in Wednesday’s semifinal, Kawasaki Frontale’s full-back Sai van Wermeskerken is now plotting another upset.
First-time champions of the ACL Elite will be crowned on Saturday when Kawasaki face Al-Ahli in the final — at the Jeddah club’s King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.
And although Al-Ahli are the favorites, Van Wermeskerken says he and his teammates are determined to take the trophy back to Japan.
Van Wermeskerken told Arab News in an exclusive interview ahead of the final: “The final is going to be such a special game.
“Al-Ahli is a really tough opponent but, after what we did in the semifinal, we know if we can play as a team we have a great chance to win this tournament.”
Van Wermeskerken, whose father is Dutch and mother is Japanese, left Eredivisie side NEC Nijmegen for Kawasaki Frontale last summer — ending an 11-year stay in the Netherlands.
With Japanese football stadiums noticeably less hostile than their European counterparts, the player has relished playing in front of animated crowds in Jeddah.
He said: “We were training beside the stadium when Al-Hilal played Gwangju (in the first quarterfinal) and could hear the noise. We were like ‘OK, these finals are going to be loud.’
“I have played in some incredible atmospheres in Europe — big games against Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord — and this was definitely comparable and I love these types of games. If you play well and the home fans boo, I find that very motivational.
“I know for some of my teammates it was a bit more difficult; this is not the normal atmosphere in Japan so it was a great learning experience for them. I think 5 percent of the stadium was our supporters and 95 percent against us.
“We know it will be the same against Al-Ahli, which makes it really tough of course. But because we survived the semifinal I think it will be much easier for us mentally in the final.”
Van Wermeskerken insists he has not felt overawed by the quality of opponents in the ACL Elite finals in Saudi Arabia. He helped to successfully shackle AFC Player of the Year Akram Afif in the quarterfinal victory over Al-Sadd, before keeping Cristiano Ronaldo at bay and marking Sadio Mane in the 3-2 last-four win over Al-Nassr.
Van Wermeskerken helped to successfully shackle AFC Player of the Year Akram Afif in the quarterfinal victory over Al-Sadd, before keeping Cristiano Ronaldo (pictured) at bay and marking Sadio Mane in the 3-2 last-four win over Al-Nassr. (AFP)
Goals from Tatsuya Ito, Yuto Ozeki and 38-year-old Kawasaki veteran Akihiro Ienaga handed Shigetoshi Hasebe’s team a famous triumph.
Van Wermeskerken said: “I felt emotional after the semifinal. It was really fun and one of the most enjoyable games in my career.
“If you’re playing football, of course those names like Ronaldo, who have already made so much history, are the players you always hope to play against. I loved the experience; I was not scared of facing Ronaldo or Mane — I respect them but also feel I have the confidence to stop them.”
The full-back will have to be at his best again in the final as he faces Al-Ahli’s twin wing threat of Galeno and Riyad Mahrez. The former has contributed three goals and three assists in his six ACL Elite games since arriving from FC Porto in January, while Mahrez is favorite to be named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player having scored nine and set up eight more in his 12 matches this season.
Van Wermeskerken said: “Mahrez is an amazing player, of course. My old teammate at PEC Zwolle, Oussama Darfalou, played for the Algeria national team with Mahrez and he texted me after we won the semifinal to say I’d better play my best.
“Of course, I know how good he is. Mahrez can change what he wants to do at the last moment — his movement is very unpredictable. He can find solutions from difficult situations. I prefer to face a player who just keeps dribbling against me, but I know Mahrez is creative and can come up with moments out of nowhere.”
Mahrez and teammate Roberto Firmino could become the first players to win the UEFA and AFC Champions League titles if Al-Ahli win on Saturday, but Van Wermeskerken has other ideas.
While he recognizes Kawasaki Frontale will be underdogs for the final, the Japanese defender insists that the pressure Al-Ahli feel as hosts could weigh heavily on Matthias Jaissle’s side.
He said: “We still have the feeling of the challenger, like we did against Al-Nassr, but we also have belief in our ability. I don’t know how Al-Ahli feel, but of course there is an inevitable pressure and expectation from the supporters.
“Al-Ahli had a really tough game against Al-Hilal and, honestly, we know we can win this final. For Kawasaki Frontale it is a chance at history — not just for one person, but for this whole club.
“It is the only trophy missing at this moment; the club has won everything else, and taking home this trophy is all that the players and coaches have been talking about since I joined. We believe we can do it.”
