Leaders Sharjah hope to keep it rolling
dubai — The Sharjah juggernaut rolls on. After a blistering unbeaten run that has seen them undefeated in the Arabian Gulf League this term, ‘The King’ are inching closer to ending a long drought.
Sharjah, one of the oldest clubs in the UAE have waited 23 years for the League title and it has been 16 years since they last won any silverware but is set to change soon enough.
The club need just five more points from their remaining five fixtures to win their first League title since 1996 and it will be their first piece of silverware since they won the President’s Cup in 2003.
Abdulaziz Al Anbari’s side haven’t flinched an inch and that is set to continue when they make the sojourn to face Ittihad Kalba on Friday.
There are some tricky fixtures ahead but five points is all they require against Kalba, Dibba, Al Wasl, Al Wahda and Emirates, to add the finishing touches to what has been a stellar season. Sharjah are unbeaten in 21 matches, winning 15 and drawing six.
The champions may be on ice, so to speak, but there’s a mad scramble for places below with clubs jousting for second and third which will guarantee them direct entry into next season’s AFC Champions League.
Al Jazira are currently second with 41 points and take on Al Wasl at the Zabeel Stadium on Saturday. Shabab Al Ahli, also on 41 points will look to bounce back following the defeat to Al Wahda, and keep the pressure on Al Jazira.
Shabab Al Ahli, who face Al Dhafra in the President’s Cup final on April 29, are first up this week, travelling to Ras Al Khaimah to meet Emirates.
“We have a very difficult and important game, especially after the loss to Al Wahda in the previous round,” coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena said.
“This situation requires us to fight and win in order to keep the pressure on Al Jazira and take the second spot,” added the former Boca Juniors coach.
The Argentine said the focus at the moment was on the match against Emirates and not the President’s Cup final. “Some teams are fighting to stave off relegation and
such matches are hard and tricky. The President’s Cup final is just around the corner but we right now have to focus on the game against Emirates,” the 43-year-old said.
Elsewhere, Al Nasr make the trip to the Western Region to face Al Dhafra and coach Caio Zanardi, who has salvaged a stuttering campaign with three wins on the trot, was upbeat.
“Our team is enjoying a positive atmosphere, especially after winning three consecutive games,” said Zanardi.
“We have already managed to win three consecutive games and we must not stop winning and maintain a good series of results in order to score more points and make our fans happy,” added the former Brazil Under-17 team coach.
Meanwhile, defending champions Al Ain take on Bani Yas in Al Shamkha on Saturday.