DUBAI // Fresh from a five-day training camp in Qatar, Sharjah coach Paulo Bonamigo says that his team could not be better prepared for tonight’s Arabian Gulf Cup final as they face Al Nasr intent on ending the club’s 12-year wait for a trophy.
Sharjah have not won a major final since lifting the President’s Cup in 2003, and they sit third from bottom in the Arabian Gulf League having won just three times from 13 games.
Yet they arrive at Rashid Stadium knowing they are just 90 minutes away from adding a coveted piece of silverware.
“We need to forget about the league for now,” Bonamigo said. “Everybody knows the problems we have faced this season.We changed three of our four foreigners because of injuries, and it takes time for new players to settle in.
“We have done a good job in the cup, reaching the final without losing a game. We have been in Qatar preparing the final touches and hope to have a strong match, get the luck and get the title.”
With the league in the middle of a winter break while the national team competes at the Asian Cup in Australia, Bonamigo’s side have played just two matches in January. They travelled to Doha to build team spirit and ensure 100 per cent focus on tonight’s match.
Mauricio Ramos, Sharjah’s Brazilian defender, said the break had served its purpose.
“Our players are very prepared for this game now,“ said Ramos, who arrived from Palmeiras in 2013. “We have been waiting for it for what seems like a very long time, and we have worked very hard to be ready.
“Finals are always games where small things will decide the result. While we have to respect Al Nasr, if we play our best we stand a good chance to win.”
gmeenaghan@thenational.ae
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