Dubai: Star striker Ahmad Khalil aims to put the finishing touches on his incomplete football dream starting with his excellence at the club level.
Wearing the captain’s armband in the absence of an injured Rodrigo Lima, Khalil has been crucial for the success of Al Ahli bagging their seventh title in the Arabian Gulf League (AGL) last weekend.
Adjudged the Asian Footballer of the Year last season, the 24-year-old UAE and Al Ahli striker has been a vital cog in all teams that he has featured in so far. The 5ft 10in forward started off with the UAE under-17 team in 2004, and from then on there was no turning back as his scoring skills set him up as one of the best strikers in the country.
In 2008, Khalil eventually cemented his place in the senior UAE side, and he has so far scored 37 goals in the 73 appearances he has made for the team so far.
At the domestic level, the youngest of the Khalil brothers has always featured for the Red Knights as an eight-year-old at the club in 1999. Since then, Khalil has been a part of the senior team’s success winning the league on three occasions (2008’-09, 2013-’14 and 2015-’16) and the President’s Cup at the end of the 2007-’08 season.
However, Khalil – who turns 25 on June 8 – is hungry for even more success. “We have fought well as a team for this title. But that does not mean we will now relax and enjoy this success. This is only the first step for us and we want to win the President’s Cup as well,” Khalil told media after his team fought to a 2-2 draw against visiting Bani Yas late on Friday.
At the end of the first phase of matches, Al Ahli had fallen to two defeats – a 3-0 thrashing at the hands of Al Ain in the tenth round and a 1-0 away loss to Bani Yas. “But we never gave up the fight. We wanted to win and that was one of the main reasons why we kept on fighting for each and every point,” Khalil added.
On the home run, the Red Knights were formidable dropping points through three drawn encounters – held goalless by Al Wasl and identical 2-2 results against Al Dhafra and Bani Yas. “I think the main factor that emerged through this all is the sense of belief we had in ourselves as individual players and as members of one team. We fought for each and every point, believing all along that we can be the champions.” he said.
His exploits with the national squad too have been phenomenal. But this has not made things mundane for him. “I am happy for what I have achieved. And whatever I have done individually has been due to the excellent support I get from my colleagues and team-mates,” he added.
With so much achieved, Khalil does not see himself or his team slowing down. “We need to keep the focus. There is still one more match left in the league, and after that we have to win the President’s Cup,” Khalil said.
“I love football and this is what I do best. Winning so many trophies and awards does not mean that I have to work less. I need to keep on working harder in fact. My hard work will never stop and each year I will have a new goal to pursue,” he added.
