JEDDAH :Kawasaki Frontale coach Shigetoshi Hasebe says he is determined to prove east Asian teams can match the firepower of their big-spending rivals from Saudi Arabia after booking a place in the semi-finals of the Asian Champions League Elite.
The J-League outfit qualified for the last four of the continental championship for the first time on Sunday with a 3-2 extra-time win over Qatar’s Al-Sadd to set up a meeting with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr on Wednesday.
Kawasaki are the only team from their side of the continent remaining, with Saudi Pro League duo Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal facing off in the other semi-final after wins over Thailand’s Buriram United and Gwangju from South Korea respectively.
“Before our game, three teams from the eastern side had lost so this was the last chance to break that (negative) image and I believed we could win to do that,” said Hasebe.
“It depends on which opponent you play; the teams on the western side can beat us but eastern teams can win too. It depends on the game.
“Now there is only one club, one force from the east. Just us. I’m trying to break again that kind of image in the next game.”
Kawasaki captain Yasuto Wakizaka scored nine minutes into extra time to see off the Qatari side and take Frontale into the last four for the first time in the club’s history.
Progress to the semi-finals after three quarter-final appearances marks a significant result for the club’s coach, who replaced four-times J-League winner Toru Oniki in December.
“This is a new team and of course some people have already left the club, but because of them we could come here,” said Hasebe. “As a new team we did this. This is something very meaningful for the club.”
The 54-year-old former Avispa Fukuoka coach will now turn his attention to the meeting with an Al-Nassr side that features Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and Jhon Duran with Kawasaki disadvantaged due to having one day less to prepare than the Saudi side.
“They are very quick, very skilful with big names but that is this competition,” he said of Wednesday’s opponents. “The time is very limited for the players, without any doubt, but we will prepare for the next game.”