DUBAI: Coach Cosmin Olaroiu’s latest obsession is motivating his troops at Al Ahli. With a not-so-healthy start to the defence of their Arabian Gulf League (AGL) title, Olaroiu has started imparting lessons from coach John Wooden’s ‘Leadership Game Plan for Success’ to his squad in an attempt to boost the morale and confidence of his squad.
“Motivation is the key to success in all sport. This book speaks about success in NBA, but I find that it can be applied to all sports including football, basketball, tennis and golf. The measures and guidelines laid down are like a recipe towards success,” Olaroiu told Gulf News.
The defending champions started with a laboured 1-0 win against Sharjah, only to fall 2-4 against arch-rivals Al Shabab before thrashing city opponents Al Wasl 5-1. The Red Knights then dropped vital points to lower opponents — a goalless draw against Ajman followed by a 1-1 draw against Fujairah.
Last week, they rediscovered their scoring touch with a 4-2 win over title contenders Al Jazira. On Thursday night, they will be hoping to continue with another win against Al Dhafra.
“The need of the hour is that we try and keep our concentration and attitude from the last game. We want to just continue our build-up towards the next game with the same spirit. Al Dhafra has always been a difficult opponent for us and after watching them play the last time, I think they will pose the same problems for us as in the past,” Olaroiu said.
“I hope we understand and learn from the mistakes we have made in our last few matches. For sure, we cannot afford to lose points especially against weaker teams who always come to play strong against us. In a way the Al Jazira match has been a start for us and we want to continue with this spirit for the remainder of the season,” the 45-year-old Romanian said.
Last season, Al Ahli registered four draws and just two losses — a 1-2 defeat against Al Wasl and a 0-3 result against Al Dhafra after fielding an unregistered player. “At the moment my motivation is 200 per cent. That has always been the case any way ever since I have joined Al Ahli. You can ask any of the players. I think I am more motivated now than when I joined Al Ahli last year,” he disclosed.
The Red Knights take on Al Dharfa away on Thursday before they embark on a big game against Al Ain, Olaroiu is not looking too far ahead. “It will be a problem if the players are thinking about Al Ain already. They need to take one match at a time. What they need to realise is that all games have three points on offer and we need to go about collecting three points at a time,” he stressed.
Elsewhere, Ittihad Kalba’s Brazilian coach Vinicius Eutropio has been replaced by Algerian tactician Abdelhak Benchikha.
Newly promoted Kalba had managed just one point from the first six games of the season under Eutropio and will be looking to turn things around under the former Raja Casablanca.
