‘We should win every game’: No room to spare if Al Ahli want UAE title, believes Habib Fardan

'Between us an Al Ain there is only one point,' says Al Ahli's Habib Fardan of the Arabian Gulf League title fight, 'so we cannot lose any games'.

Habib Fardan of Al Ahli competes against Al Nasr in the President's Cup final last year. AFP Photo / STR / June 3, 2015

DUBAI // Habib Fardan believes Al Ahli must win their remaining Arabian Gulf League matches to be crowned UAE champions.

The Dubai club, who last lifted the trophy in the 2013/14 season, top the table going into the month-long break courtesy of their one-point advantage over defending champions Al Ain.

The league resumes early next month with five rounds remaining, including what seems set to be a decisive match against Al Ain at Ahli’s Rashid Stadium on April 14.

Ahli first face a resurgent Al Jazira, though, while they also take on Al Nasr and Baniyas before concluding the campaign on May 8 at home to an already-relegated Al Shaab.

Fardan, who joined the club only months after they had clinched their sixth UAE championship two years ago, says given the tightness of the title race this season, Ahli cannot afford to slip up. Predictably, he views the meeting with rivals Al Ain as crucial to a successful run-in.

Read more: Al Jazira and Al Ain in ACL – 5 thing to do in the UAE this week

Also see: Ismail Matar recalled for UAE's vital 2018 World Cup double-header

“There are five games left and we should win every game,” said Fardan, speaking on Saturday at the official launch of the new adidas UAE national team kit. “Between us and Al Ain there is only one point difference, so we cannot lose any games.

“All our focus should be on the game with Al Ain. This is a six-point match and so will be the most important game.”

Ahli had been expected to contest the Arabian Gulf Cup final on April 1, but were stripped of their place in the showpiece because they reportedly fielded an ineligible player, Khamis Esmail, in the semi-final victory against Al Shabab on January 19.

The club have appealed the ruling, with a final decision to be made by the Football Association Disciplinary Committee next week.

However, Fardan says his teammates must not let the ultimate outcome affect their quest for league glory.

“Until now, we didn’t get the final result on the cup situation – on March 14 they will give us that. We don’t think about this tournament now,” he said. “We focus on the league and, whatever happens, we as players must forget and get over it.”

Esmail was introduced as a substitute in the latter stages of the last-four encounter against Shabab having signed for Ahli from Jazira the previous day. The match finished 3-2 to Ahli, but Shabab have since been awarded a 3-0 victory.

Esmail would not be drawn on the subject on Sunday, saying his sole focus is on the upcoming 2018 World Cup qualifiers with the UAE national team. Mahdi Ali’s men face Palestine and Saudi Arabia in their last Group A fixtures on March 24 and 29 respectively, knowing two victories are most likely required if they are to advance as pool winners to the final stage of qualification.

“All my concentration is on these two games now,” Esmail said. “I forget about Al Ahli and forget about everything else. Now we play for the national team – all that we concentrate on is these two matches.

“We have something more important than the league, something good for UAE. That’s why I forget about everything else.”

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