Al Ahli to give fans free cup final tickets
‘Turn up at the club and take your tickets,’ Hamad tells Red Knights supporters
Dubai: Al Ahli Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ahmad Khalifa Hamad has announced the club has bought up its entire allocation of tickets for this month’s President’s Cup final and will give them to fans for free.
The Red Knights, who are second in the Etisalat Pro-League a long way adrift of champions Al Ain, will take on Dubai rivals Al Shabab in the final of the President’s Cup at the Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on May 28.
The match is Quique Sanchez Flores’ side’s last chance of winning some silverware this season, so the club is aiming to give them the best possible backing for the final by making it easy for supporters to go along.
Hamad told Gulf News on Saturday: “We want everyone to be involved, whether they are UAE nationals or expatriates. We want everyone to just turn up at the club and take their tickets. This is something new in UAE football.
“We want this final to be a true celebration of football in the UAE and a justified end to the season.”
But the extra support and expenditure by the club could add extra pressure on Al Ahli, as the board are desperate to return home with the trophy.
“We’ve come a long way in this prestigious tournament that bears the name of His Highness the President of the UAE. We want to go all the way and have at least one trophy in our cabinet to seal off this season,” Hamad said.
“We’ve done well in this competition and now, since we’ve reached so far, we want to win the cup. Nothing can be more pleasing for the Red Knights than ending [the season] with this prestigious trophy.”
Hamad was speaking alongside club vice president Obaid Saeed at the announcement of an Al Ahli initiative called “Our Leader, Our Father” to coincide with the final of the President’s Cup.
Al Ahli’s build-up to the final will kick-off on Tuesday via social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, as well as on the club’s official website.
“The purpose of this initiative is to show our loyalty to the President and also build up a sense of belonging among the club’s fans and supporters.”
