Shabab Al Ahli look to extend lead; Ajman and Bani Yas win

Mohammad Abdullah, Staff Reporter

Ajman defeated Al Nasr 1-0 while Bani Yas eked out a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Al Dhafra in their respective Arabian Gulf League matches on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Shabab Al Ahli will look to extend their lead at the top of the standings with a win over Fujairah in a 15th round match of the Arabian Gulf League (AGL) on Sunday.

Shabab Al Ahli are eight points clear of their nearest rivals Al Jazira, who are second with 27 points. Al Jazira will face Al Wahda at the Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium in another match. Shabab Al Ahli coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena said: “We are playing an important match against a strong opponent and it’s not easy, we know that they are a good team and have excellent players.

“They can change the course of the match. From our side we are fully prepared both physically and mentally. We must focus and our goal is to win the match points and extend the lead in the standing.

“We discuss issues with the players, clarifying some negative points and avoiding them in matches. There are certain games when the performance of the team can vary. Each team is subjected to fluctuation in the performance and the players are not “robots,” they can also get exhausted and feel fatigued,” he added.

He also ruled out the result of the last match against Hatta having any bearing on this game.

“We play each match separately, the experienced players and the youth complement each other. The youth proved themselves through focus and good performance in matches such as Eid Khamis and Hareb Abdullah, and it is good to take care of them and the return of Majid Hassan adds a great value to the team,” he stressed.

“To maintain the lead, it is necessary to completely isolate the problems and conversations, and to prepare the appropriate environment with the utmost effort, and most important of all this work on food programmes, rest and training,” he informed.

He also expressed his delight at the return of Mubarak, saying: “Mubarak’s presence is a boost for the team. He is a young player with a lot of experience. He did not play in any game for a long time but he trained well with the team. I hope his return will be an asset for the team and I am optimistic about it.”