Al Mishtiki stays on with Al Ain

The caretaker becomes full-time manager, while the Pro League club also sign up Moroccan international Alloudi to replace Emerson.

AL AIN // The Al Ain management have rewarded Abdulhameed al Mishtiki, the caretaker manager, with the job full time after he finished the season with a five-match unbeaten run which included an impressive 2-0 victory over Sepahan, of Iran, in the Asian Champions League.

Al Ain also announced they have signed Soufianne Alloudi until January. The Moroccan international, returning from a lengthy injury, played for Al Wasl on loan in the second half of last season. Alloudi has been drafted in to replace Marcio Emerson, who recently cut short a two-year contract with the nine-times league champions and the 2003 winners of the Asian Champions League, to play for Fluminense in his native Brazil.

Al Mishtiki, who will start his new role on the team's summer camp in Austria from July 14 to August 3, believes Alloudi complements the club's other two foreign imports, Jorge Valdivia, who is playing in the World Cup for Chile, and Jose Sand, the club's top scorer last season. "Alloudi is a fine player and was impressive when he played on loan, and that's the reason Al Ain signed him for three years," al Mishtiki said. "He has fully recovered from the injury and I don't have any doubt he will excel this season. He plays a similar game as Emerson and will combine well with Valdivia and Sand."

Alloudi was loaned to Al Ain in 2007 from Raja Casablanca. After his loan period ended he signed a three-year contract for US$450,000 (Dh1.65 million). The 26-year-old forward suffered a knee injury after scoring three goals against Namibia in the African Cup of Nations, and was ruled out for the whole of 2008. He spent almost the whole of 2009 with Raja Casablanca to recover from his injury and returned to the Pro League on a six-month loan with Wasl.

Al Mishtiki, the Emirati, appeared alone yesterday for a media briefing to announce the team's preparation for next season. "The club management, particularly the president, Sheikh Hazza, wants me to continue with the job and I am thankful to him for the trust and faith he has on me," al Mishtiki said. "I also have a lot of confidence in my players." He said he sees no need to sign addition players. "We have three excellent foreign players and combine them with the local talent, we've got a strong team."

Al Mishtiki was the club's Under 17 coach before taking charge of the first team as caretaker manager at the end of last season. By fighting off a late challenge from Baniyas, Al Ain finished third in the Pro League, earning them a play-off spot to qualify for the 2011 Champions League group stages. [e-mail]