LONDON: The question for much of the AFC Champions League Elite tournament so far has been based around if anyone can stop the three Saudi Pro League teams.

After the draw was made for the quarterfinals in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr and Al-Ahli now know the identity of their opponent but the same question still remains. It would not be a surprise at all if the same trio make it to the last four, where they will inevitably start to play each other.

Indeed, it could be that the only teams who can prevent the Saudi Arabians are other SPL rivals especially as all the matches from April 25, when the next round kicks off, to the May 4 final, will all be single games in the city of Jeddah. Even if the clashes had been two-legged, the trio would be favorites, but one-off games at home is obviously a major advantage.

Al-Hilal, with a record four titles in the trophy cabinet back in Riyadh, will start it all off against Gwangju FC. South Korean teams can never be underestimated, K-League clubs having won 12 Asian championships (Japan are next with eight, two more than Saudi Arabia). However, Gwangju have not only never reached this stage before, but this is their first appearance in the tournament.

From the southwest of the East Asian country, near the more experienced two-time champions Jeonbuk Motors, Gwangju had their best-ever season last year and started well in the group stage, eventually qualifying comfortably. The Korean media summed it up with the headline on Monday: “Gwangju face a mountain to climb in Saudi Arabia.” With little Asian experience, and indifferent results at home, few will be expecting them to cause an upset.

Though with dangerous Albanian international Jasir Asani, top scorer with nine goals so far, and a tough spirit — they came back from two goals down in the second round clash to beat Japan’s Vissel Kobe – Hilal will need to be own their guard, especially after their scare in the last round when they lost the first leg in Pakhtakor before roaring back in the second.

If the Riyadh giants get past their inexperienced opponents, then there could be a semifinal against Al-Ahli. The Jeddah team are going well and will also benefit from huge support at home. Buriram United of Thailand have plenty of Asian experience but have only been to the last eight once, back in 2013. Again, Al-Ahli coach Matthias Jaissle will say, and rightly so, that any team who makes it this far in Asia is an opponent to be respected and taken very seriously, but it would be a major shock if the team from the northeast of Bangkok could get a result by the Red Sea.

Al-Ahli have been in pretty good form at home but a couple of poor results mean that the Champions League is their best chance of a trophy this season. In Asia, they have been really flying and strolled past Al-Rayyan 5-1 on aggregate. They should really have too much for their Thai opposition at home, with Riyad Mahrez and Ivan Toney two standouts in Asia and Roberto Firmino also able to play.

If there is an all-Saudi semifinal, and if Al-Nassr can get past Yokohama F.Marinos, then the prospect of an all-Saudi final remains a possibility. Like Al-Ahli, the Riyadh club have never won the title before and the Champions League remains their best chance of major silverware this year.

Once again, the home team will be favorites but perhaps this is not as clear cut as in the other two ties. Yokohama topped the group in the eastern zone, winning six of their games, and got past Shanghai Port in the last round with ease in the end, after losing the first leg. Japanese teams are currently the best on the other side of the continent by some distance but the Kanagawa club are, however, struggling at home.

If Cristiano Ronaldo and his colleagues had to make the long journey to just outside of Tokyo for a first or second leg, it would look to be a tricky task, but in a one-off match on home soil, the expectations will all be on Al-Nassr and the biggest task may be handling the added pressure now that the SPL title is surely out of sight.

The winner of Al-Nassr vs. Yokohama will meet the winner of Qatar’s Al-Sadd and Kawasaki Frontale of Japan. At this stage, however, the money is all on the Saudi Arabians.

DUBAI: With less than three weeks left before the Dubai World Cup, Ali Al-Ali can look back with more than a measure of satisfaction on another successful racing season calendar at Meydan.

On Saturday, April 5, the racing world’s attention will again turn to the emirate as the globe’s best horses, jockeys and trainers take part in the 29th edition of the thoroughbred race. However, for the CEO of Dubai Racing Club, as well as many racing enthusiasts, the Dubai Racing Carnival has been up and running since November and concluded its last pre-World Cup event on Friday.

“The Carnival was restructured last year, season 2023-2024, and this is the second iteration of it,” said Al-Ali. “We have had a lot of feedback from both the racing side and the guest side, great feedback coming from both of those, talking about how the Carnival has created a whole new experience for the people that are coming to the course and enjoying a time out on a Friday night, as well as creating a very competitive atmosphere for international horses coming from all over the world.”

One of the highlights of the calendar took place on Saturday, March 1, and for some of the participants provided a path to the main card of the Dubai World Cup.

“Emirates Super Saturday has always been a great night,” said Al-Ali. “It’s a mini rehearsal for the Dubai World Cup. It was the first time that Emirates Super Saturday falls under Ramadan, and I think we created a beautiful mix of Ramadan vibes, culture, horse racing, hospitality and entertainment on that night.”

The Dubai Racing Club was established in 1992, and the Dubai World Cup had its first run four years later. From its origins at Nad Al-Sheba Racecourse to its current home of Meydan, it has become one of the world’s most famous racing events, featuring a total prize of $30.5 million for nine races, of which $12 million is set aside for the showpiece race.

“Well, horse racing has always been in the DNA of Dubai and the UAE as well,” said Al-Ali. “The vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum was to bring the horses back to their original home.

“From there began the mission of His Highness to create a hub and to create a racing environment that suits everyone coming into the region,” he added. “And (he also wanted) to prove that these horses entering here in Dubai do always have a better chance of winning outside as well. Going back to how it has evolved, I believe with His Highness’ directions and continuous support, we are at a pinnacle at the moment and we’re only pushing forward.”

Having the right facilities and talent is what helped Dubai become a regional and global racing hub, according to Al-Ali.

“I see Dubai as a great hub due to the infrastructure, and most importantly, the know-how of flying in international horses and providing them with the right atmosphere, the right facilities, the right supplies, the right support to race in a very safe and enjoyable racecourse.”

The 2025 Dubai World Cup will take place only days after Eid Al-Fitr, but Al-Ali says that preparations have been going on for some time now.

“We’ve been preparing since almost a year now. That’s how we do it and that’s always what we try to achieve. We always try to achieve absolute excellence when it comes to the Dubai World Cup,” he said.

The CEO says that technology is increasingly playing a major part in maintaining that excellence.

“From a technological perspective, we see that the Dubai Racing Club is going to be one of the pioneering jurisdictions in implementing both artificial intelligence within our operations, as well as enhancing the technology that is helping and aiding horse racing around the region.”

Al-Ali is now looking forward to the start of this year’s festivities on April 1.

“The Dubai World Cup Week is full of activities and entertainment, and we’ve got the Post-Position Draw, the Post-Position Gala, the Dubai World Cup Gala, and the breakfast of the stars as well, which is now called the Morning Gallop.”

Horses and trainers are already making the move to Dubai ahead of the big week.

“We have received some of the horses that are going to be running on the Dubai World Cup night and we’re expecting more of them to come throughout these weeks,” Al-Ali said.