Dubai: Barely out of their first leg of the Gulf Champions League, the coaches of Al Ahli and Al Shabab are now plotting a course of action for another two meetings between the two teams over the next week.
"This is just the half-time for us. There are another 90 minutes more to play," cautioned Al Ahli coach Ivan Hasek after his side's 3-2 win in their first leg final of the Gulf Champions League at home on Wednesday night.
"They [Al Shabab] have a two-goal advantage [away goals rule], but I am happy with the win," he added.
Severe constraint
However, time has been a severe constraint particularly for these two clubs as they remain engaged in the etisalat Cup, the etisalat Professional League and the Gulf Champions League.
And so far it is Al Ahli who managed to win both encounters — a 3-1 result in the etisalat Cup followed by Wednesday's 3-2 win in the Gulf Champions League final. But the two teams are scheduled to play each other again in their second round of the etisalat Professional League on Sunday night before facing each other in the return leg of the Gulf Champions League on November 3.
"We don't even have time for proper training. There is just not enough time for our players to recoup and recover from matches. But the players do not feel tired if they win," Hasek said.
The Czech coach refused to take Al Shabab lightly either.
"Al Shabab is dangerous, but I enjoyed the fighting spirit of my team and the response they came up with each time they scored," he added.
His counter-part Paulo Bonamigo was left ruing mistakes in the defence that assisted Al Ahli in gaining an advantage going into the second leg of the final.
"Everything is down to us now. We have done an excellent job in scoring two away goals here and so I see my team going in with an advantage when we play them at home. Nothing is over as yet," he said.
