DUBAI // Asamoah Gyan is confident his return to full fitness can help fire Al Ahli to honours this season.
The Ghanaian striker, currently on a year-long loan at the Arabian Gulf League champions, has been steadily working his way back to his optimum level since joining in late August from China's Shanghai SIPG.
Gyan has still proved an early success, scoring a few minutes into his Ahli debut last month in the Arabian Gulf Cup, ironically against former side Al Ain. It then took the forward only four minutes to find the net on his return to the Arabian Gulf League, while Saturday's volley against Dibba lifted his tally for Ahli to six goals in seven matches.
However, Gyan has yet to complete a full match, although he was substituted in injury-time in last month’s cup victory at Al Shabab, and was taken off injured in the recent Emirati-Moroccan Super Cup encounter against FUS Rabat. He had already scored the goal that sealed a 1-0 win at the Rashid Stadium.
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Gyan returned at the weekend to play 83 minutes against Dibba, scoring Ahli's second in the 4-1 victory, and is now looking forward to improving his output as the Dubai club continue their challenge for trophies.
“I’m feeling good,” he said. “I overstretched in the last game against the Moroccan side and thought it was a big injury, but the scan showed it wasn’t that serious. It wasn’t a tear. I had to stay out for two days and had to recover, but I’m happy to be back on the pitch because I don’t need this right now.
“I’m starting to get back to the level I want to be, because of my recovery. Now I can recover earlier than in the previous weeks, which is very, very good for me. And I hope everything continues. I just need to stay on the pitch, make sure I work hard every day and everything will come naturally. I’m confident that, with my quality, anytime I stay on the pitch I’m sure I can deliver.”
Saturday’s win against Dibba maintained Ahli’s 100 per cent record to their title defence. With nine points from a possible nine, they sit third in the table having played one match less than the two teams above them: Shabab and Al Jazira.
The Dibba performance was not Ahli’s best of the season thus far, but Gyan insists it is a positive sign that the team can secure the points when not at their maximum.
“It’s very, very important for the team — we’ve played three games, we’ve won three and we’ve one outstanding, which is later against Al Ain,” he said. “It’s good that we’re still winning, that we’ve kept that winning record. It’s good for the team and good for the club.
“It builds our confidence and that’s what we should be doing. We should have this winning mentality whether we’re playing good or bad. At the end of the day, we should make sure we win and that’s what we’re doing right now.”
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