Zlatko Dalic, the Al Ain coach, said his side are fully prepared for Friday’s rescheduled Super Cup clash with Al Ahli, despite it taking place during one of the busiest periods of the season.
The Garden City club come into the match at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on the back of a relatively hectic schedule, as they seek success in the Arabian Gulf League and the Asian Champions League.
Thriving in both, Al Ain possess a four-point lead at the top of the domestic standings with six rounds remaining, while they sit at the summit of their group in the continental competition, too. The matches have therefore continued at a swift pace: since the Arabian Gulf League restarted on February 4, Al Ain have played 10 times in seven weeks.
The timing of the Super Cup could then be viewed as an inconvenience. Traditionally the opening fixture of the UAE football season, it was postponed last September because of Al Ain’s involvement in the 2014 Champions League.
Dalic, though, insists his side are focused on sealing what they hope will be their first piece of silverware this term.
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“It’s a special game to play, even though it is not usually at this part of the season,” he said. “It comes between many games in the league and the Champions League, which is not easy for us, but we have to accept everything. Our target is to win the game. Nothing can distract us from that.
“There are many games for my team in a short time. We now have four competitions [including the President’s Cup], but we are a big club. We have to accept that and do as good a job as we can.”
Al Ain’s immediate task should be made more manageable by the return of Omar Abdulrahman. The playmaker missed the past two matches because of injury, but he has recovered in time to face Ahli.
However, Al Ain expect to be without Asamoah Gyan for the encounter. Like Abdulrahman, the Ghanaian sat out the club’s two most recent victories, although he is still struggling for fitness following an infection.
Irrespective of the absentees — Miroslav Stoch is also unavailable — Dalic is confident his squad possesses enough strength in depth to trouble Ahli.
“Our destiny this season has been to play every game without some player in the team,” he said. “But until now my players have done a great job in all competitions. Omar and Gyan have missed many games, but I hope now they will make a final push this season. They will help us try to win in the league, the President’s Cup and Champions League.”
Before that, Ahli should effort a stern test, even though they have struggled all season. The Dubai club may be UAE champions, but they currently lie sixth in the standings, and have won only twice in the past 10 matches in all competitions. Yet Dalic has still warned his side against complacency.
“I’m sure the Ahli team will be different tomorrow to how it plays in the league,” he said. “It’s a big chance for them to fix their season. They are a big team, also.”
Meanwhile, Cosmin Olaroiu used his pre-match media briefing to express concerns about Friday’s referee, Yaqoub Al Hammadi. Al Hammadi officiated the league encounter between the two sides in October, a match in which he sent off Carlos Munoz and Olaroiu in stoppage time.
“Yaqoub’s record in recent games is not good, where he sent off Munoz without reason and then sent me away … he has several precedents with Ahli,” Olaroiu said. “I spoke with the players for 20 minutes about Al Ain, and 20 minutes about the referee, but we have prepared well for dealing with his decisions.
“I am confident in how the players have worked as a team and in our ability to overcome all problems.”
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