Abu Dhabi: Centre-back Mohanad Salem is bristling with optimism that in-form Al Ain will overcome Arabian Gulf League champions Al Ahli in the UAE Super Cup on Friday.
However, Al Ahli talisman Luis Jimenez has warned the Garden City outfit not to underestimate the Red Knights’ challenge at Al Jazira’s Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium, despite the fact they are languishing in sixth place in the league table.
The tantalising showdown is the traditional curtain-raiser to the new UAE football season between the defending AGL champions and the holders of the UAE President’s Cup.
It was postponed until March because Al Ain were taking part in the AFC Champions League semi-finals in September, but this has not weakened the resolve of Salem.
Speaking to the Arabian Gulf League website, he said: “In any situation — a normal fixture or a final — it’s difficult to predict the outcome of a game between Al Ain and Al Ahli. These are two very strong teams with many talented players capable of winning any game.
“I really hope and believe that Al Ain will win the title and I’ll tell you my reasons why. We are in very good form, we are top of the Arabian Gulf League and top of our group in the AFC Champions League right now, and we have dealt with key absences and injuries due to the strength of our squad.”
He added: “Any other club who missed the services of key players like Omar Abdul Rahman and Asamoah Gyan would be deeply affected, but Al Ain is able to cope due to the strength of our squad throughout. This is what sets us apart from any other side.
“Thankfully, the pressure of competing in the various different competitions has had a positive effect on us this season, and we as players have been doing our best to recover quickly and fully between each game. Al Ahli is a strong team and they won the treble last season, but we can’t think about their form going into the game because in a cup final the mental preparation and teamwork on the pitch is what makes the biggest difference.”
However, Al Ahli’s Jimenez insists the form book will count for nothing on Friday given the one-off nature of the match.
The former Inter Milan man said: “Normally we play very well against the best teams and I don’t think we have been getting what we deserve this season because I don’t think you can find other teams who are passing as well as us or running more than us. Maybe we have not been in the best morale, but we are certainly ready to play this game.”
He added: “It’s great that we still have three chances to win something this season, even though by our standards it’s been a very bad season for us. We still have the opportunity to win the Super Cup, the AFC Champions League and the President’s Cup, so starting off our final push by taking the Super Cup is really important for us, and it would definitely help to lift morale and spirit.”
