Jazira ready for a tough fight against Gharafa
abu dhabi — Al Jazira will face a tough opponent in Qatar’s Al Gharafa during the AFC Champions League Group A match but will fight till the end for three points, coach Henk ten Cate said on Monday.
The encounter in Qatar’s Thani bin Jassim Stadium is crucial as both the teams — second-placed Al Jazira and Al Gharafa who are third — are on five points after four matches. And with two games remaining every point counts.
Al Jazira had beaten Al Gharafa 3-2 at home in the opening match but the Abu Dhabi club hasn’t tasted success after that. Both the teams are evenly matched in terms of result with one win, two draws and a loss. The coach said: “Both are on the same level. It will be a very important and decisive match for both.”
Ali Mabkhout, Mohamed Jamal and Mohamed Al Hashmi are back in the camp after serving suspension but Khalfan Mubarak is still out with a one-game ban.
“We are almost perfect for the first time since last September. We want to get stronger and secure better results in this last part of the season. What happened in the previous phase was not satisfactory, except for our positive participation in the Fifa Club World Cup,” the coach said during the press conference.
The Dutchman said a draw is an acceptable result as Al Jazira will play the last round match at home among the fans.
“A draw is a positive outcome but we don’t want to think about anything except fighting to win.”
However, the coach knows a victory isn’t easy against an opponent with the likes of Mehdi Taremi and Wesley Sneijder. Taremi had netted for Al Gharafa in the 1-1 draw against group leaders Al Ahli three weeks back.
“To get full points, we have to play with full concentration. We should cut down on the mistakes and take advantage of any opportunity that may be presented to us. I know Sneijder very well because I worked closely with him when at Ajax. He is a real captain on the field and a top player.”
However, the coach is confident about the abilities of his own players. “Al Jazira got great players in all positions and the technical capabilities of the two teams will make the match very exciting.”
Meanwhile, Brazilian striker Romarinho believes players can take three points.
“The morale in the camp is very high. We are very optimistic about performing well and get the three points. We will have to maintain our focus and fight till the end. And then we will get the result we want.”
He noted the experienced Sneijder as the danger man.
“They have a very special player in Sneijder, who has contributed so much to the development of the team. We have to play smartly and not rest till achieving our goals,” the striker added.