Mabkhout returns from camp to boost Al Jazira
dubai — UAE striker Ali Ahmed Mabkhout has been released from the National football team camp in the Austrian city of Salzburg so that he can participate in the Arab Club Champions Cup.
The UAE football team management approved the request from two-time Arabian Gulf League champions Al Jazira club to release the ace marksman from the AFC Asian Cup camp to allow him to join the Abu Dhabi club’s squad ahead of their opening fixture of the Arab Club Champions Cup against Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr.
Al Jazira, who finished seventh in the League, take on Al Nassr, who finished third in the Saudi Professional League, over two legs.
Al Jazira play hosts in the first leg to be played at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Monday. The second leg will be held at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium in Riyadh on September 29.
The 27-year-old Mabkhout, who plundered five goals to win the Golden Boot at the previous edition of the AFC Asian Cup in Australia in 2015, spent nine days at the camp. And he signed off in style by netting a hat trick in UAE’s friendly against SC Leogang, a fourth division Austrian club on Thursday.
The UAE have three clubs taking part in this edition of the Arab Club Champions Cup which began on August 7 and runs until April 28, 2019. Arabian Gulf League champions Al Ain and Al Wasl are the other two teams.
Al Ain are already out of the competition after Algerian club Entente Sportive de Setif won on away goals after both teams had finished 2-2 on aggregate over two legs.
Al Ain had lost 1-2 at the Stadion Maksimir in the Croatian capital of Zagreb and then went on to win by a solitary goal in the second leg.
Al Wasl are yet to open their campaign and The Cheetahs won’t be seen in action until August 24 when they travel to Jeddah to take on Saudi King Cup champions Al Ittihad at King Abdullah Sports City. The second leg takes place at Al Wasl’s Zabeel Stadium on September 30.
Meanwhile, the UAE squad gleaned a few positives from the friendly against SC Leogang. Coach Alberto Zaccheroni went in with Al Ain’s Khalid Eisa in goal and Al Ain’s Mohannad Salem and Mohammed Ahmed, Shabab Al Ahli’s Walid Abbas and Al Ain’s Bandar Ahbabi forming a resolute backline.
Al Nasr’s Mahmoud Khamis, Al Wasl youngster Ali Salmeen and the experienced Khamis Ismail and Sharjah’s Saif Rashid were the midfielders.
Apart from Mabkhout, Ahbabi and Jassem got on the scoresheet.
The Italian tactician then made a host of substitutions during the game by bringing in defenders Al Nasr’s Khalifa Mubarak, Shabab Al Ahli’s Mohammed Marzooq, Al Wahda’s Mohammed Barghash Al Manhali, Sharjah’s Al Hassan Saleh, midfielders Al Ain’s Amer Abdulrahman and Ahmed Barman, Shabab Al Ahli’s Majed Hassan and Ismail Al Hammadi and striker Ahmed Khalil from Shabab Al Ahli.