Henk ten Cate has urged his Al Jazira side to wrap up the Arabian Gulf League title at the first possible opportunity, beginning this weekend against Al Shabab when the leaders can “break the spirits” of their championship rivals.
The capital club stand on the verge of only a second UAE top-flight crown, heading the standings by eight points from champions Al Ahli with four rounds remaining.
Jazira host a struggling Shabab at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on Friday, knowing victory there would mean Ahli must win against fifth-placed Al Wahda the following day. Jazira, though, require only four more points to clinch their first title since 2011.
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“It’s going to be an important match for us,” Ten Cate said. “We need four points from the last four games. It’s better to take the three points as quickly as possible. And if we take that on Friday, we need only one point from three games. Besides that, you break the spirits of the other teams, if it’s not broken already regarding the championship.”
Ten Cate did warn his players not to be complacent against a Shabab side in the middle of a run that includes a solitary victory in 14 league matches. The eighth-placed club, who replaced manager Fred Rutten with Miroslav Dukic in January, were heavily beaten the last time they faced Jazira, losing 7-3 at home in early December.
Shabab come into the match on the back of four defeats in their past six matches, and are potentially without their entire foreign quartet for the trip. Midfielders Azizbek Haydarov and Tomas De Vincenti are suspended, while forwards Henrique Luvannor and Nana Poku are doubtful through injury.
“Shabab are a strange team: sometimes they can play fantastic football and sometimes it’s like you’re looking at another team,” Ten Cate said. “So we should not underestimate them — they have some very good players and they have nothing to lose. They are free in their minds and there is no pressure for them.
“In fact, the season is over for them and those opponents are always very dangerous. So it’s going to be difficult. But the spirit in the team is really amazing here, it’s fantastic. Everybody is eager, everybody wants to play.”
Ten Cate said his most difficult decision on Friday will be which players to leave out. Other than long-term injuries to Ahmed Rabea and Salem Ali, and the suspension to Park Jong-woo, the Dutchman has a fully fit squad from which to choose.
“We are ready,” Ten Cate said. “We want to make this dream come true. We want this so much.”
At the other end of the table, bottom side Baniyas face a potentially must-win trip to 12th-placed Kalba on Friday, with Emirates club, who occupy the other relegation spot, away at Sharjah.
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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