Abu Dhabi: Their forwards’ inability to convert chances has once again put Al Ain in a precarious situation in the AFC Champions League. Coach Zlatko Dalic and his side will now have to show the same grit they displayed in the last round against Iran’s Zob Ahan when they travel to Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent on September 13 to keep their semi-final hopes alive.
Dalic can vouch that his team, who drew 0-0, were underprepared given the fact that he had only ten days with his full side. However, the fact remains that his overseas players lacked striking prowess on the day. While Brazilian Douglas seemed to have not arrived for the match, Colombian winger Danilo Asprilla’s defence-splitting runs would end inside the box without ideas.
As for the new entrant Caio, it’s still a transition period and he may settle in with time.
Ebrahim Diaky, though introduced late in the second half, was wayward and needs to improve.
At this stage, one or two clear-cut opportunities is what any top team would offer and Dalic has to make sure that his forwards make it count.
“I don’t want to cry or find excuses. Yes, we will try our best with this situation. I must believe in a good result and success. This is not a good time for me. I’m not happy, I’m responsible for everything here but there is nothing I can do,” said Dalic in the post-match press briefing adding, “If I’d had my players for a month, I guarantee we would have scored three goals tonight.”
One has to feel for the Al Ain skipper and playmaker Omar Abdul Rahman. As always the star midfielder dished out his 100 per cent but there were none to match his class upfront and score. However, Abdul Rahman chose not to play the blame game. “To win is God’s will. Maybe we missed a lot of chances and we did not get that goal but we are satisfied with what God gave us,” said Abdul Rahman, adding,
“We performed in a big match even though we had little time to practice as a team. We gave everything and played with confidence but we didn’t have the luck.”
Though Abdul Rahman is aware that he and his team have their task cut out in the return leg, he was confident they can get across the line.
“People are expecting us to win and we are also focusing more on our performance as a team and to increase our standards. Thanks to God we drew the match. We know we have to win our next match and we will be up for it,” asserted Abdul Rahman, who will be joining the national team again and will be heading to Shanghai on Thursday. UAE take on Japan on September 1 and will be playing Australia at home in the third-and-final round of World Cup 2018 qualifiers.
Having missed scoring opportunity, Asprilla also echoed the same sentiments as Abdul Rahman saying: “It was a very difficult match for us but I think we played well but we did not make a mark. We were simply not able to score. There were scoring possibilities but we were not able to convert them.”
The Colombian accepted that the return fixture will be tough but he was confident about his and the team’s ability to rise to the occasion.
“It is not going to be easy, it is going to be an exciting match and I trust myself and I trust my team to get a good result and move to the next round.”
Lokomotiv captain Timur Kapadze, who played out of his skin to save the day for his side under sweltering conditions, said: “I’m happy that my team lasted till the end in these testing conditions. It was extremely hot out there. It is a good result for us as Al Ain is a strong team. Now we will be playing at home and that will be a huge plus and hopefully we can get a good result there.”
