Dubai: Al Shabab have targeted victory over Al Jazira on Saturday as they seek early confirmation of a spot in the semi-finals of the Arabian Gulf Cup.
The Dubai club have a maximum six points after two matches following their wins against Dibba and Al Ain in Group B. Having played just one match so far, Al Jazira have one point from their 2-2 draw with Al Ain.
Despite both teams missing key players due to national team duty, Al Shabab seem to have the edge. The Hawks have Azizbek Hydarov and Hassan Ebrahim representing Uzbekistan and the UAE respectively, while Mohammad Ayed is out injured. On the other hand, Al Jazira will be missing a handful of first-choice players.
“Our goal is to reach nine points after three matches as we want to be in a comfortable position to reach the semi-finals well in advance,” Al Shabab coach Caio Junior told media at the pre-match conference.
“Al Jazira will be without some of their key players, but they will still be a threat to us as they have Emirati youngsters. I have spoken to my players and they are all focused on getting full points at home on Saturday. We have started the season on a good note and we need to maintain this momentum.”
After four rounds of the Arabian Gulf League (AGL), the Hawks are unbeaten and in fourth place with eight points in the 14-team standings. Al Nasr are top with ten points, followed by defending champions Al Ain (9) and Bani Yas (8).
“In the greater scheme of things it is important that we maintain this unbeaten run. We want to be genuine contenders for the cup and for the AGL as well. And if we need to keep this alive then we need to keep on winning,” Caio said.
“We also have the AFC Champions League in mind. So not only are we looking at the domestic competitions, we are in touch with the continental tournament, where we will meet some tough opponents. We need to be ready for anyone at this stage.”
