AL WASL LOOK TO STOP AL AIN JUGGERNAUT
This is the ‘Year of Zayed’, and both Al Ain and Al Wasl football clubs will push their limits to win the coveted UAE President’s Cup trophy at the Zayed Sports City Stadium on Thursday evening.
Al Ain, the newly crowned Arabian Gulf League champions, are in celebratory mood. The record 13th title means, the Garden City club earned automatic qualification into the 2018 Fifa Club World Cup and the 2019 AFC Champions League group stage. Also, this is the club’s golden jubilee year.
Al Wasl, too, are upbeat following a last-gasp qualification earned for ACL group stages by finishing third in the League standings.
The 2017-18 season has been highly entertaining with goals galore and the final promises more excitement. Dig this: in last three League encounters Al Ain thrashed Al Dhafra 5-0, Al Nasr 4-0 and Dibba 4-0. In February, Al Ain blasted Ajman 7-0 — the biggest margin in the season. When they get going, Al Ain batter their opponent and show no mercy. Club striker Marcus Berg has been in destructive form slamming 25 League goals.
If statistics weren’t enough threatening, Al Ain coach Zoran Mamic dealt a warning too saying he wants more goals and trophies. “I won Croatian Cups as a coach and also as a player. I think in Croatian football there aren’t many who have won more trophies than me but I need more,” the Croatian said during the pre-match press conference on Wednesday. “I hope we can win the trophy.”
The coach said his players will double their efforts in the final.
“We need to show high level of concentration to achieve our ambitions. The game will not be easy. Al Wasl are a good team but we are in good form.” He is banking on fans to be the pillar of support in quest for another title.
Meanwhile, Al Wasl coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena said his team was hungry for titles. “It is very important match as team remain hungry for title. I hope the players achieve the target as they deserve it.”
He acknowledged Al Ain’s frontline firing power and massive results. “We will play attack and defense in a different way. We will seek to exploit spaces and hit on counter-attack,” the coach added.
Al Ain have won the President’s Cup six times and Al Wasl twice. Al Ain remain firm favourites to win it for the seventh occasion. However, they had come close in 2016 until Al Jazira took the trophy in penalty shootout. Expect the unexpected as Abu Dhabi and Dubai clubs clash. It’s the President’s Cup and stakes can’t get bigger than this.