AL AIN // Al Nasr captain Brett Holman believes his heroics in Wednesday night's President's Cup success warrant him being given a contract by the club.
The Australian forward’s current deal is set to expire this month and club officials have yet to tell the former Aston Villa player whether they will retain his services.
“For me personally, I think I deserve a contract extension,” said Holman, who joined Nasr in 2013.
“If you look what I have done, how I have performed and what we have achieved as a team, in which I have been a part of that process I believe in my heart I deserve a contract extension.”
Holman’s stamina and industry was instrumental in Nasr forcing the game into extra time courtesy of Kwon Kyung-won’s own goal three minutes from full time after Ahmed Khalil had put Al Ahli in front with a header. Ivan Jovanovic’s men then won the penalty shoot-out 3-0 to secure a first President’s Cup success in 26 years.
Read more:
[ – Photo gallery: Al Nasr edge Al Ahli in penalty shootout to secure President’s Cup title ]
[ – Ali Khaled: Al Nasr’s Brett Holman and Al Ahli’s Luis Jimenez sign off on years in contrasting fashion ]
“I knew a little bit of the history of the club before I joined. It is my third trophy after the Gulf Clubs Cup and the Arabian Gulf Cup. So personally I am so happy and proud to say we won three titles in two years,” he said.
“It is fantastic and amazing. You just look back the history and we never won anything and suddenly here we are with three trophies, including the prestigious President’s Cup.”
Tariq Ahmed, also playing in his second season at Nasr, echoed his teammate’s sentiments, saying: “What we achieved tonight is the most remarkable achievement. It was in everyone’s heart and mind to win this cup for the club. I think everyone played their part.
“Everyone contributed to our success on the night, the players, the technical staff, the club management and above all our fans. They came in numbers to be behind us.
“They kept pumping us throughout the 120 odd minutes in very testing conditions. And the players, they gave 200 per cent. It was all fully worth it at the end.”
Majed Naser, the Ahli goalkeeper, said it was one of those days when nothing worked out for Cosmin Olaroiu’s side, who couldn’t sustain their end-of-season momentum into one last game.
“We have to put this result behind us and start looking at the season ahead,” he said.
“We still have the Asian Champions League to play for and the new season. Hopefully we can come back as a stronger team.”
apassela@thenational.ae
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Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales
Najlaa Khoury, Archipelago Books
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MATCH INFO
Inter Milan v Juventus
Saturday, 10.45pm (UAE)
Watch the match on BeIN Sports
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
EMIRATES'S REVISED A350 DEPLOYMENT SCHEDULE
Edinburgh: November 4 (unchanged)
Bahrain: November 15 (from September 15); second daily service from January 1
Kuwait: November 15 (from September 16)
Mumbai: January 1 (from October 27)
Ahmedabad: January 1 (from October 27)
Colombo: January 2 (from January 1)
Muscat: March 1 (from December 1)
Lyon: March 1 (from December 1)
Bologna: March 1 (from December 1)
Source: Emirates
57 Seconds
Director: Rusty Cundieff
Stars: Josh Hutcherson, Morgan Freeman, Greg Germann, Lovie Simone
Rating: 2/5
UAE athletes heading to Paris 2024
Equestrian
Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi, Abdullah Al Marri, Omar Al Marzooqi, Salem Al Suwaidi, and Ali Al Karbi (four to be selected).
Judo
Men: Narmandakh Bayanmunkh (66kg), Nugzari Tatalashvili (81kg), Aram Grigorian (90kg), Dzhafar Kostoev (100kg), Magomedomar Magomedomarov (+100kg); women's Khorloodoi Bishrelt (52kg).
Cycling
Safia Al Sayegh (women's road race).
Swimming
Men: Yousef Rashid Al Matroushi (100m freestyle); women: Maha Abdullah Al Shehi (200m freestyle).
Athletics
Maryam Mohammed Al Farsi (women's 100 metres).
Result
Arsenal 4
Monreal (51'), Ramsey (82'), Lacazette 85', 89')
West Ham United 1
Arnautovic (64')
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
