Sharjah look to bounce back; Al Jazira eye win

Mohammad Abdullah, Staff Reporter

Leaders Sharjah will look to bounce against Al Dhafra after their loss against Al Ain in the previous match as the 17th round of the Arabian Gulf League (AGL) gets under way on Thursday.

Sharjah are at the top of the standings with 36 points despite a dip in their form of late. In their last two matches, they could collect only one point.

Sharjah coach Abdulaziz Al Anbari said they are looking to bounce back from the disappointment of the loss and will look to maintain their stranglehold on the standing with a win.

“Everyone is ready to take the responsibility and work hard for the team's return to the winning ways and achieving positive results. We want to put a performance that would delight our fans and we are also looking forward to the recovery of the injured players as soon as possible,” said Anbari.

“Despite losing a number of points in the past two games, we have great confidence in the players' ability to overcome this phase and provide the best in the upcoming matches,” he added.

Sharjah’s Brazilian import Caio Lucas described the match against Al Dhafra as a very important game.

“A very important match is waiting for us. We aspire to have a strong reaction by the players and return to the winning ways to collect the full points so that we may remain at the top of the standings,” said Caio.

Meanwhile in the blockbuster match of the round, second-placed Al Jazira, who are keeping hot on the heels of Sharjah, will take on Bani Yas, who sit third with 32 points.

The mouth-watering clash is expected to be a goal fest as the two sides have never been engaged in a goalless draw and both are trying hard to prove their credentials of being a genuine contenders for the title.

Al Jazira coach Marcel Keizer ruled out that the jam-packed calendar is taking its toll on the fitness of the players and adding to the fatigue. Nevertheless he predicted it to be a tough match.

“Bani Yas are playing well, they have a strong team and they play good football because of their good midfield and fast wingers,” said the Dutch coach.

“We focus on ourselves only, and we are aiming to achieve better results, like that of the last week. Luckily for us we have almost a full squad at our disposal, because we didn’t pick any injuries or red cards in the round. So everyone is fit and ready now, and looking forward to another challenging match only four days after the last one,” he added.

“I don’t know if Bani Yas are putting the league title as one of their goals for this season or not. And they can answer this question, not me. Nothing will make their game against us more difficult than it is already, and I will only think of my team and nothing else,” the manager concluded.

Meanwhile, Bani Yas coach Daniel Isaila said he is expecting a tough a game against Al Jazira, who are one of the strangest team in the league.

"We have to enjoy this match as Al Jazira are tied on the point with Sharjah and it is a summit clash. We are coming into the match on the back of two victories against Fujairah and Khorfakkan, so we will try keep our winning momentum,” said the coach.