Istiklol head coach Vitaliy Levchenko has said the Tajik champions are targeting victory in the AFC Challenge League.
“Our club has a strategy and clear objectives. Naturally, we want to win this tournament. However, right now all our thoughts are focused on the upcoming match, where we have to fight for victory. As they say, step by step,” Levchenko said ahead of Istiklol’s opening game.
The Dushanbe club begin their group-stage campaign against Lebanese side Nejmeh. Levchenko said his coaching staff had studied the opposition carefully and highlighted the quality of their attacking players.
“We have followed our opponents closely and have great respect for them. All four teams in our group are well matched and will fight for a place in the next round,” the coach said.
Istiklol will face Lebanon’s Nejmeh on October 17, Kuwait’s Al-Arabi on October 20 and Syria’s Homs Al-Fidaa on October 23. All Group B matches will be played in Hisor, Tajikistan.
Levchenko admitted that preparations had been complicated by the international break, with a significant group of Istiklol players spending almost 20 days away with the national team. Those who remained at the club continued full training, with reserve-team players also involved in sessions and practice matches.
“The players understand how important this tournament is. We are playing at home, with our supporters and families behind us. We have serious objectives, and the main one at this stage is to get out of the group,” Levchenko said.
The AFC Challenge League is another opportunity for Levchenko to add to an impressive coaching record in Central Asia. The Tajik-Ukrainian specialist has won league titles in both Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and has twice been named Coach of the Year in each country.
According to Eurasia Football sources, Levchenko was considered earlier this year as a candidate for head-coach positions at clubs in the Ukrainian Premier League and the Kazakhstan Premier League.
Born in Khujand, Levchenko spent most of his playing career in Ukrainian football, representing clubs including Dynamo Kyiv, CSKA Kyiv and Tavriya Simferopol. He also spent part of his coaching career in Ukraine, working at club level and within the Ukrainian youth national team system before returning to Central Asia.