DUBAI // Habib Fardan says winning the Arabian Gulf League title with Al Ahli has justified his decision to join the club from Al Nasr two seasons ago.
The UAE international played a key role in Ahli’s march to a seventh top-flight title, featuring in 24 of their 26 matches as the Dubai side sealed the trophy last month with two games to spare.
Fardan, 25, moved across the emirate in August 2014 for a reported Dh42 million fee, ending a six-year career at Nasr. During that time, he became one of the club’s most prominent players and often captained the side in his final campaign at Al Maktoum Stadium.
See more from John McAuley on Al Ahli:
• Cosmin Olaroiu's future at Al Ahli, response from Al Ain and other big questions facing AGL
• Al Ahli chairman believes Cosmin Olaroiu will 'absolutely' stay with AGL champions
• Dubai's Al Ahli crown dominant season by lifting Arabian Gulf League title – in pictures
He never lifted domestic silverware at Nasr, and was on the losing side last year when his former club defeated Ahli on penalties in the President’s Cup final.
However, having finally clinched a trophy at the Rashid Stadium, and with President’s Cup redemption still a possibility since Ahli take on Al Shaab in the quarter-finals on Friday, Fardan thinks he was right to trade clubs.
“Of course, it was difficult decision, but in the end I don’t regret it,” Fardan said. “I’m so happy here with Al Ahli and playing with a great group and great players, because not everyone gets to play in this team, with these players, at this level. We have almost 22 stars here.
“I’m so happy because it’s my first time to win the league; it is great to be champion of the UAE. It was a very difficult season for us, maybe the most difficult in the league’s history, because it ran until the last two rounds.
“But thankfully we won the title and hopefully this will push us more for the President’s Cup and in the future the Asian Champions League.”
Ahli have made next season’s Champions League a priority after coming so close to winning the tournament last year. Having qualified for the knockout stages for the first time in the club’s history, they then became only the second UAE side to make the final, but were eventually defeated 1-0 in the two-legged tie by China’s Guangzhou Evergrande.
Fardan, who played both matches against Guangzhou, says the pain from falling at the final hurdle last November can only serve Ahli well when they return to the continental competition as UAE champions next February.
“To be honest, it was so hard on us to not win the tournament, but thankfully we won the league and it’s like we’re saying for everybody that the players and our team are champions,” he said. “But we must continue into this way to bring the next trophy, which is the President’s Cup.”
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
