Watch: Young Al Jazira supporter receives special surprise


John McAuley
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A message of support led to one Arabian Gulf League fan getting a special surprise from his favourite team.

A young Al Jazira supporter named Yousef sent a good luck video to his club ahead of Saturday's crunch home clash against Al Ain, which the hosts won 3-1 to reignite their title bid.

The 13-year-old received a video himself afterwards, with some Jazira stars - Ali Khaseif, Milos Kosanovic and Musallem Fayez among them - thanking the Emirati for getting behind the team. Yousef was also given a shirt and club memorabilia signed by the Jazira squad.

Saturday’s match at the Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium was played behind closed doors - a provision implemented by the league as a precaution because of the coronavirus outbreak worldwide - prompting Jazira to encourage fans to submit video messages of support before the game.

The players were then shown the messages in the changing room before kick-off, with the entries also depicted inside the stadium during the match.

Nick Garcia, Group CEO for Al Jazira FC, said: “Our supporters were right there with team for this match, despite not being in the stadium, and through this campaign we’ve been able to bring our players, fans, staff and partners even closer together.

"We’re delighted with the impact this initiative has had. The players wanted to show their appreciation and we hope they’ve created a really special moment for one of our loyal young fans.”