The National's Sport cover for the Sunday, August 16 issue, featuring new Al Ain man Emmanuel Emenike, as he spurred a victory in the Arabian Gulf Super Cup.
With Asamoah Gyan gone to China, Emenike is the bridge to the next era for the UAE champions, and Osman Samiuddin reports the Nigerian looked up to the task:
“Scoring two goals to secure a trophy at the start of a new season is not a bad way to begin the arduous task of replacing one of the most prolific strikers to have played in the UAE.
“Emmanuel Emenike is the player who has stepped into the role that belonged to top scorer Asamoah Gyan and, as introductions go, this was impressive.
“Two poached goals and a night of incessant running helped seal a third Arabian Gulf Super Cup in the professional era for the country’s most successful club, a 4-2 triumph over Al Nasr, which, perhaps, was a flattering result.”
Osman also spoke with Al Ain manager Zlatko Dalic after the match, who said he was looking for more out of his foreign contingent:
“I’m not fully happy how my team played tonight,” Dalic said. “I want more, I want better, especially from my foreign players.
“They need more time but I expect more, especially from [Ryan] Babel.
“He almost stopped running. He was tired and so I made the change.”
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