Al Ahli midfielder Habib Fardan said it was difficult to concentrate fully on the UAE’ World Cup qualifiers with the Asian Champions League final second leg on the horizon.
Fardan played the second half of the UAE’s 8-0 home win over East Timor on Thursday and the first 45 minutes of the 2-1 victory in Malaysia on Tuesday as the UAE stayed on track for a spot in the next round on the Road to Russia 2018.
But the 25-year-old said there were times when his mind drifted to Saturday’s ACL second leg where Al Ahli will travel to China to take on domestic champions Guangzhou Evergrande with the tie evenly poised at 0-0.
[Ahmed Khalil and Omar Abdulrahman named on shortlist for AFC Player of the Year]
“It was hard not to think about the final, but we achieved our mission and we won two games and now we are thinking only about this game and all the focus will be on the final,” Fardan said on Wednesday in China.
“It has been a long journey in the cup and it is the right time to get the trophy and do something in the history of the club.
“I think all the players have dreamed of this moment and will be 100 per cent ready for this game.”
The first leg in Dubai on November 7 was a dour affair but Fardan said it had been important to focus on keeping Guangzhou and their Brazilian flair forwards off the scoresheet.
[UAE and Saudi Arabia move closer to crunch 2018 World Cup qualifying showdown]
Al Ahli now only need a score draw against the 2013 ACL champions to become the first Emirati winners of Asia’s biggest club tournament since Al Ain won the title in 2003. Victory would also book a spot at the Fifa Club World Cup in Japan next month.
“I remember when Al Ain won the cup, it is the best trophy won by our country, and I hope we can write a new history for this club,” Fardan said.
“To be the best in Asia is not easy, but it would be a great honour and every player dreams about it.”
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Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
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- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
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- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
