Return of the Coach: Morais Faces His Former Boss as Al Hilal Take on Sharjah in Asia's Elite

Match Preview

Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia are preparing to face UAE's Sharjah in the sixth round of the Elite AFC Champions League, with the favorites under a new tactical direction.

Sharjah have tapped Portuguese coach Jose Morais, a former Al Wahda manager, who left the club in a surprise move to take charge of Sharjah; his first test is to face his former employer as well.

Morais previously had a brief stint leading Al Hilal in 2021, overseeing five matches before moving to Sepahan of Iran.

In his coaching career across the Arab world and East Asia, Morais has met Al Hilal four times, losing three and winning one. The first meeting came in 2007 when he coached the Saudi youth team, beating Hilal 3-1 in a league game; he later coached Al Hazm that same year and lost 2-0 to Hilal.

Years later Morais returned to face Hilal with Sepahan in February 2024, losing the first leg 3-1 in the AFC Champions League Round of 16, and the second leg finished 3-1 again, sending Hilal through in a comfortable aggregate. Hilal's recent Asian record against Morais remains strong, giving the Saudi club confidence heading into this tie.

Punchline: If Morais pulls off the upset, historians will say he finally found the perfect formula—coffee, tactics, and a dash of revenge. If not, well, the bus back to Sharjah might be the only thing carrying the team home fast enough to hide the loss.