Dubai: Al Nasr’s new Iraqi striker Mohannad Abdul Raheem is set to make his debut for the ‘Blue Wave’ at home to Al Ain in round four of the Arabian Gulf League from 8pm on Sunday.
The 23-year-old joined on a one-year deal from Iraq’s Al Zawra after scoring all four goals in a 4-0 win over Thailand last week.
Abdul Raheem replaces Brazilian striker Wanderley Santos as the club’s Asian player, with the latter still serving a 60-day suspension for playing under an alleged fake Indonesian passport.
The Iraqi joins Moroccan midfielder Abdul Aziz Barrada, Burkinabe winger Jonathan Pitroipa and French forward Jires Kembo Ekoko in Al Nasr’s foreign quartet.
Wanderley is likely to be re-registered as a Brazilian after serving his ban when the window reopens in January. At the moment it remains to be seen which foreigner will make way for Wanderley’s reintroduction but previous reports have mulled Pitroipa’s future.
Al Nasr are currently ninth in the league after one win in three matches losing the last two games to Dubai rivals Al Ahli and Al Wasl. They will now be looking to get their season back on track but it won’t be easy at home to unbeaten Al Ain who are fifth after two wins in two with two games in hand.
Their league campaign has been slowed due to their Asian Champions League run where they play South Korea’s Jeonbuk Motors in next month’s two-legged final away on November 19 and at home on November 26.
Al Ain are asking for these dates to be changed as they clash with the UAE’s next World Cup qualifier at home to Iraq on November 15.
In the meantime, Al Ain coach Zlatko Dalic is asking his players to momentarily ignore the Champions League and refocus their efforts back on the league. “We are well aware it won’t be easy to face Al Nasr after exerting a lot of energy in the ACL semi-final against El Jaish,” he said. “There may be a number of players missing due to fatigue after the ACL semis, but I’m confident in the ability of all squad members to achieve desired results both domestically and on the continent.
“We are going for a new challenge and all squad members are required to show the same desire and spirit in the league as they have done in the ACL.
“We have not lost any points in the league and can still be competitive until the end of the season. Al Nasr are also contenders for the title but with respect for their aspirations we are only looking for three points as our fans have given us the motivation to win all games.”
