Al Habitha: Four more battles to go

Dubai: Al Shabab manager Obaid Al Habitha has called upon his boys to be prepared to wage another four grim battles before they settle in as the new league champions in a month's time from now.

"Four more matches, four more grim battles ahead of us...that is the way we are looking at the end of the league," Al Habitha told Gulf News during a training session of his team late on Wednesday.

Going into the final bend of the etisalat UAE National Football League, Al Shabab have always been the leaders from the start of the season. And now with only four games remaining, they are just a breath away from the pursuing lot of Al Jazira, Sharjah, Al Ahli and Al Shaab.

Gritty show

"It's always tough at the top.

"Sometimes it is better to be in the middle of the standings so that you can be among the ones chasing for the title," Al Habitha said.

It has been tough at the top for the young Al Shabab side under former Brazilian star Toninho Cerezo. They were off to a flying start and have since then, never seemed to relent in either their hunger for wins or lack of purpose. "We are at the top and everyone out there has just one thing on their minds - they want to beat us," Al Habitha said.

Like last week, for instance, when a gritty nine-man Al Shaab nearly snatched victory against the current leaders.

"This situation has put a lot of pressure on all of us, particularly our young players," the manager pointed out.

With such a young brigade, a title chance seems all the more difficult. The experienced goalkeeper Juma Rashid is the only player who has been part of a trophy-winning side [when Al Shabab won the President's Cup way back in 1997].

"Besides him, we do not have a single player who has won anything [former Al Ahli and Al Wasl defender Badr Abdul Rahman who has joined Al Shabab is an exception here]," Al Habitha said.

However, battling all these odds the former UAE national team defender can still see his team walking away with the league crown.

Response

"We need to take one match at a time and consider each of these the most important. Our next game against Al Dhafra is crucial as it will indicate which way the league title is headed," affirmed the Al Shabab manager.

To their credit, Al Habitha feels his wards are responding in the best possible manner.

"They are showing their eagerness to win something. They have shown their willingness to make the sacrifices especially now at the end of the league. We've built a new team and the result of the hard work is showing now.

"We are within reach of our goal...I am confident we will achieve our objective much before May 25," Al Habitha said.

Double: Rare feat for Obaid

While Al Shabab is training their sights on a trophy after a barren decade, team manager Obaid Al Habitha is targetting a rare "double" for himself. "A league trophy is long overdue for a talented club like ours," Al Habitha told Gulf News during a training session on Wednesday.

Al Habitha was the backbone of the Al Shabab defence when his club last won the league title in 1994-'95.

The only other player who was a part of that winning squad is substitute goalkeeper Juma Rashid. "It would be really ideal to move one step higher, both for me and for my club," Al Habitha stated.

"I have won the league title as a player. Now I want to win the title as a manager. I think this will be quite a rare achievement."