Wanderers have mental strength to be Asian champions - Ono

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Former Japan playmaker Shinji Ono believes Western Sydney Wanderers have the mental strength to become the first Australian club to win the Asian Champions League, even if they will have to do it without him.

The 34-year-old signed off after two years with the Sydney start-up club by helping them into the last eight of the ACL on Wednesday, setting up both goals as they beat Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2-0 to overhaul a 3-1 first leg deficit.

Ono, nicknamed "genius" by the passionate Wanderers fans, also helped Western Sydney to the A-League final in the first two years of the club's existence.

The ACL quarter-finals will not be played until mid August, however, by which time Ono will be back in Japan with second flight club Consadole Sapporo.

"It was a tough game, we were two goals behind, but I believed in the team and everyone believed in each other and that's why we got a good result," Ono told reporters.

"If this club plays as a team, as a unit like today, they can win every title, the grand final and regular season and the ACL as well, I believe."

Wanderers will go into the May 28 draw with six former Asian champions in Guangzhou Evergrande, Pohang Steelers, Al Ain, Al Ittihad, Al Sadd, Al Hilal. The eighth club, FC Seoul, were runners up to Marcello Lippi's Guangzhou last year.

Western Sydney have spent two years defying their lack of pedigree in Australia, however, and manager Tony Popovic said they should not be written off.

"Now that you are in the final eight, you have to believe," he said.

Popovic said overhauling the 3-1 first leg deficit was another special night for the club in their short history and picked out Ono for particular praise.

"He was special tonight and you could see the quality that he has against the champions of Japan, to play that way," he said.

"We'll always remember this night, that's for sure."

(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford)