Sharjah roll into Swiss training camp

Dubai: Sharjah headed for Switzerland on Tuesday in preparation for the the start of the new soccer season with a three-week training camp in the country.

It is the latest stage in the club's pre-season which club officials are hoping will see the team primed and ready to go when the new campaign kicks off on September 19.

"We divided the preparation programme into three periods, said team manager Abdul Aziz Mohammad before leaving for Switzerland.

"The first began two weeks ago with fitness training at the club's stadium in Sharjah. "The second period will be in Switzerland for implementing special tactics and to play warm-up matches from which the coach can know the standard of the players, especially the new players."

"The third period will be at the end of August after returning from the external training camp. We will play against local and GCC clubs as the final warm-ups for the professional league which begins next month."

He added that the training camp in Switzerland was a good chance for the squad's new signings to prove they are capable of becoming regulars in the senior team.

"The new faces and young players have to seize the opportunity by showing their good standard and to convince the coach that they are not less than the regular players," he said.

Dropped points

Sharjah will be hoping to avoid the disappointment of last season when they dropped points towards the end of the campaign and finish fourth.

"We did well last season, however two defeats from Al Shabab and Al Ahli in the last stages denied us of winning the title," said the team manager.

"We will work hard in the new season to compete for winning the title of the first professional league, but this will not be achieved without the cooperation of all the club family, players, technical and medical staff, management, board and supporters. All have to work together to return Sharjah club to its past glory." Abdul Aziz said.

Meanwhile, recent trials for Brazilian and African players came to nothing after coach Yousuf Al Zuwawi and club officials failed to be impressed by the standard on offer.

However, it is believed new signings will be made to replace Iraqi midfielder Qussai Munir and Iranian Masoud Shojai who have left the club, with suggestions that two foreign players will be sought to join Brazilian striker Anderson Barbosa who has already renewed his contract with the club.

"We will be looking for new foreign players after we tested many of them recently," said Abdul Aziz.

"We will have some of them training during the camp in Switzerland and we want to sign with talented and experienced players who can add to the team in the tough professional league next season,"

The Sharjah squad taking part in the camp are: Abdul Aziz Al Anbary, Saeed Al Kass, Nawaf Mubarak, Khalifa Al Mansoury, Faisal Darwish, Ali Darwish, Mesha al Abdul Wahab, Mahmoud Al Mass, Saud Al Doukhy, Humaid Ahmad, Yousuf Saif, Rashid Ahmad, Abdul Aziz Sanqour, Mussa Hatab, Hasan Ahmad, Salim Saif, Ahmad Diya, Mohammad Al Hammady, Rashid Abdullah, Talal Hamad, Abdullah Suhail, Khamis Ahmad, Abdul Aziz Guloum, Abdullah Zarra, Naser Juma, Anderson Barbosa.