Kashima’s Mission Is to Beat Persepolis by Multiple Goals: Coach

Aware that Persepolis are an awesome force when playing at Tehran's Azadi Stadium, Aiwa said Kashima's target in the first leg at the Kashima Soccer Stadium is to win by several goals and not concede any.

"Firstly, I would like to say that it is an honor to be playing in the AFC Champions League final. Having said that, we will be playing at home and we want to make use of our home ground advantage in the first leg to get the result we want," said Aiwa at the pre-match media conference on Friday.

"The final is a game of 180 minutes and we will be playing the first half on Saturday. Our target is to win the title and my players are highly motivated and in good physical condition."

"I have full confidence that my players can deliver. We want to play in the FIFA Club World Cup again. In 2016, we played in the tournament as the J League champion but this time, we have the chance to qualify as the king of Asia and we must concentrate on the two matches ahead of us," added Aiwa.

"I agree that Persepolis is very disciplined and its defense is very tight. However, Persepolis also has its weaknesses and my players have their instructions.

"Our mission is to win by multiple goals and it is mine and my staff's responsibility to give the players the right atmosphere so that they play the football we want to and bring joy to our fans," Aiwa concluded.