Al Ahli’s Arabian Gulf Super Cup victory will give them “positive energy” to salvage their season, according to assistant coach Catalin Raducan.

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The Red Knights claimed silverware on Friday when defender Salmeen Khamis nodded in a solitary strike in the 86th-minute to secure a 1-0 win against high-flying Al Ain.

The competition had been delayed since its traditional slot at the start of the season because of unprecedented demands on the fixture list. In that time, Ahli have slumped from defending treble holders to sixth in the Arabian Gulf League and bottom in their AFC Champions League group.

They remain six spots away from the top four and its promise of Asian qualification. But Raducan hoped the boost in confidence caused by their Super Cup success can propel them forwards.

“Winning the title today gives us positive energy,” the Romanian said. “We hope that this provides us more determination and enthusiasm.”

Al Ain boss Zlatko Dalic refused to dwell on the match, pointing only to the challenges ahead. He said: “The next game coming up against Ahli, this will be most important match for us.

“In my opinion, we played a good game, but sometimes you need luck, sometimes you need to make better decisions in the game. This is football, this is life – we must accept everything.”