The two giants of UAE football come head to head in the Super Cup on Friday when Al Ahli and Al Ain lock horns in what will be the latest chapter of this budding and enthralling rivalry.
President’s Cup winners Al Ahli and Pro League champions Al Ain will contest the season curtain-raiser at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium this weekend, and there will be plenty of bragging rights as well as the trophy up for grabs.
The Red Knights of Dubai and The Boss of Al Ain are unquestionably the biggest contenders for the league title this season and success in the Super Cup will hand the victors an early boost ahead of the long and arduous campaign.
Both clubs have recruited well this summer and Friday’s showdown will give the fans an opportunity to see their new stars in action.
In a bid to close the gap on Al Ain, Al Ahli signed Portugal international Hugo Viana as well as Al Shabab duo Ciel and Walid Abbas, while retaining the services of prolific captain Grafite and star midfielder Luis Jimenez.
While those signings have delighted fans at the Rashid Stadium, Al Ain have also gone some way in bolstering their options ahead of a season in which an assault on the Asian Champions League title is high on their list of objectives.
Al Jazira captain Ibrahim Diaky and talented goalkeeper Khalid Eisa have both moved across the UAE, but it is the arrival of Brazilian Michel Bastos that has really got tongues wagging over at the Tahnoun Bin Mohammed Stadium.
– PICTURE: Al Ahli and Nike introduce 2013/14 home kit
And of course, there is the small matter of coach Olaroiu in the Al Ahli dugout following his controversial summer defection from Al Ain.
Olaroiu led Al Ain to two successive Pro League titles before Al Ahli lured him to Dubai as successor to Quique Sanchez Flores.
Uruguayan Jorge Fossati, who has proved a popular appointment among players and fans, has taken up the reins at the champions and Friday will be his first taste of UAE football.
With so many sub-plots adding spice to the Super Cup, there is little wonder Al Ain sold out all of their first-class tickets in less than five hours.
The renewed hostilities between Al Ain and Al Ahli are not lost on Asamoah Gyan, who himself as experienced one of the fiercest and intense rivalries in football. Gyan will be lining up for the league champions on Friday and the Ghanaian striker believes the rivalry between the two clubs has the potential to be as big as one of the most traditional in English football.
– Gyan back in training and ready to fire Al Ain to glory
“At the moment everyone is saying there is a big rivalry between Al Ain and Al Ahli; that is what people are talking about and how the fans feel,” Gyan said.
“I also feel the rivalry is because of what happened between us last season, and honestly I don’t see any other teams having the same rivalry as us in UAE.
“I played before for Sunderland in the Premier League, and of course everyone knows the rivalry between Sunderland and Newcastle is huge. Now finally I see this kind of relationship between Al Ain and Al Ahli, and it will definitely make the League and any games between us very lively.
“There should always be rivals in football because it adds entertainment and it is the games between fierce rivals that people love to watch,” Gyan added.
“Even for people who are not fans of the two clubs or are just visiting the UAE as tourists, they will check to see if Al Ahli and Al Ain are playing each other because they will want to attend and watch this game.
“It’s a great thing; the rivalry doesn’t mean we want to fight and have conflict, it just adds something extra to entertain the people, and it also makes the players more focused and motivated.”
Undoubtedly, the biggest change for both clubs this summer is the switch made by Olaroiu, and the new Al Ahli coach admits Friday’s Super Cup will be one of the most intriguing in history.
“The Super Cup is always a special game between two strong teams,” he said. “A lot of things have happened during these past few months, which will make it more interesting. I hope it will be a good game and everyone will enjoy it.”
TEAM NEWS:
Al Ain: Jorge Fossati is giving nothing away ahead of the game, but it is believed that Mirel Radoi and Asamoah Gyan will both start after fitness scares.
Al Ahli: Al Ahli will be without captain and top scorer Grafite who is suspended, as is Adnan Hussain. Ciel will make his debut but fellow new boy Walid Abbas misses out through injury.
LIKELY LINE-UPS:
Al Ain (3-2-3-1-1): Eisa; Salem, Mohammad, Ahmad; Al Sheeba, Bastos; Radoi, Diaky, Saeed; Abdulrahman; Gyan
Al Ahli (4-2-3-1): Nasser; Ahmad, Saeed, Salem, Sanqoor; Ghanim, Jimenez; Hammadi, Viana, Ciel; Khalil
KEY PLAYERS:
Omar Abdulrahman (Al Ain): The big-haired midfielder will once again carry the hopes of the Al Ain faithful. Getting a much needed rest in the summer while European clubs circled, Abdulrahman should be ready to take his game up a notch this season. Omar is simply one of those you can’t prepare for.
Luis Jimenez (Al Ahli): The Chilean midfielder is now a registered Asian player after taking Palestinian citizenship. And he will play a new role, expected to begin the season in front of the back four as a deep-lying playmaker.
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