Sharjah to rely on fresh legs and home advantage in League Cup semi-final against Al Ahli

Al Ahli trying to keep pace with demands of push for trophies on four fronts

Sharjah head coach Paulo Bonamigo, centre, pictured before the start of an Arabian Gulf League match against Al Jazira in Sharjah on January 2, 2014, is confident about his side's chances in the UAE League Cup semi-finals . Pawan Singh / The NationalShow less

Paulo Bonamigo, the Sharjah coach, said his team will be fresh following their two-week break and will benefit from home advantage when they face Al Ahli on Saturday in the second semi-final of the League Cup.

“The mere thought of playing in a final is motivation enough for my players,” Bonamigo said.

“It’s everything to play for, particularly for us. When we started the season, our objective was to finish in the top half of the Arabian Gulf League.

“We have exceeded those expectations. We are third in the league table and to play in a final would be a fantastic achievement for us.”

The Northern Emirate club has returned rejuvenated to the top flight this season after being relegated after the 2011/2012 season and their coach is cautious but confident.

“We have made full use of the break to prepare for this game and hopefully use the home advantage to best use against a team we all know as one of the toughest this season,” Bonamigo said.

“Of course, we are expecting a very hard game. Ahli has quality in every line, but they are playing their fourth game in 15 days.

“We don’t really know how hard that may have been for them. We will not take anything for granted but play to our strength because we, too, have quality in our side.”

Ahli have the task of keeping up a severe pace as they contest their fourth title this season. They top the Arabian Gulf League table, have reached the President's Cup final and have played out two draws in the Asian Champions League.

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