Arabian Gulf Cup semis finely poised
DIBBA HOST AL WAHDA IN SECOND LEG, SHABAB AL AHLI VISIT AL WASL
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai coach Mahdi Ali is aware that he will have to concentrate on his team’s strong points while trying to stop cross-city neighbours Al Wasl as they launch the defence of their title in the second leg semi-final of the Arabian Gulf Cup today.
The two clubs ended in a stalemate last week with the home team enjoying a better share of exchanges. However, with some of their top players such as Walid Abbas, Majid Hassan, Mohammad Marzouq and Rashid Hassan travelling with the national team for the King’s Cup in Bangkok, Mahdi is confident his bench strength is in a position to fill up and ensure the defence of their crown.
On March 9, Al Wahda got the better of Dibba 4-2, while Shabab Al Ahli Dubai were held goalless at home by Al Wasl in the first leg of the semi-finals.
“I think Al Wasl did very well in that first leg against us. They have made a good start to the season, but in recent weeks they have struggled. Maybe it is more pressure on Al Wasl. Have to stop their strong points. They’ve got good foreigners. They’ve struggled but this is the Cup and the team could change with one game,” Mahdi cautioned.
“But I am not worried about what Al Wasl will do. I need to think about my team and see how to deal with them. We have played with them two games and we know how they play. We need to prepare and stay cautious and concentrated. We have to play smart,” he added.
Rodolfo Arruabarrena was critical of his team. “We work hard for the good of the team and we are always trying to correct our mistakes. We have struggled with injuries, but we are currently striving very hard to get rid of that bad period by winning the next match and qualifying for the final to get back on track,” Al Wasl’s Argentine coach said.
Key players missing
Both teams will be without key players with Shabab Al Ahli Dubai significantly missing strikers Henrique Luvannor and Makhete Diop, while Al Wasl will be without Yousuf Al Zaabi, Wahid Esmail, Mohammad Suroor and Salem Al Ezeze.
However, both Mahdi and Arruabarrena remain optimistic. “We need to be realistic. At this juncture, all four [semi-finalists] are in the hunt for a trophy as everyone knows that they are one stop away from contesting for a trophy,” Mahdi said. “This will be like a final for us. We have to go out there and prove that we are good enough.”
Arruabarrena is also keen to land the trophy. “We are still in competition for the league title. We have several challenges before us. We have three games to fight in the league, we need to advance in the AFC Champions League. But before all this we need to win this next match and advance to the final,” he said.