Dubai: Al Ahli coach Quique Sanches Flores admitted he’s anxious to fill his vacant foreign slots after Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at home to Al Wasl, but he refused to comment on a proposed winter tranfer window move for Al Hilal’s Achille Emana.

Since Jackson Jaja Coelho’s dramatic departure last month, texting club officials minutes before boarding a flight to Brazil after a 4-0 loss to Al Wasl in the Presidents Cup second round, Al Ahli have been down to two foreigners thanks also to Chilean midfielder Luis Jimenez’ injury.

Speaking after the game which saw Grafite’s 36th minute opener cruelly cancelled out by a 78th minute penalty by Mariano Donda and an 83rd minute own-goal from Yousuf Mohammad, Quique’s comments hinged on foreign replacements.

Not only had his Lebanese defender Mohammad conceded a highly questionable penalty upon Al Wasl’s Reza Khalatbari but the free-falling Iranian also supplied the cross that Mohammad accidentally headed into his own net moments later.

Quique said: “Every team is playing with four foreigners and normally they are making the difference. We have just two foreigners [Yousuf Mohammad and Grafite] and we are forced to make up the difference with locals against our opposition. It’s important.

“We will wait for Jimenez to recover but I don’t know who’s coming in [for Jaja] in the future. Normally foreigners are the best players in this league so I think it’s very important to have four on the pitch.”

Questioned on Emana’s link, apparently already confirmed by the Saudi club wishing to offload, Quique said: “I don’t know about him.”

Emana started his career at Babimbi Douala in 1997 before transfers to Valencia and Toulouse, he also spent time at Real Betis where he was most potent in front of goal with 34 in 91 appearances. A Cameroon international since 2003, Emana has represented his country at the 2006 and 2008 African Nations and World Cup 2010.

With Al Ahli now seventh in the league on 14 points after indifferent form, Quique will be hoping to steady the tiller with a sound purchase, in the hope of quelling much denied rumours linking him back to Sevilla FC. On top of growing discontent at the club star forward Grafite hasn’t helped matters by saying he would welcome all offers from Brazil clubs.