Dubai: Al Ahli coach Cosmin has called on the club’s fan base to prop the team up as they struggle to find their momentum in the Arabian Gulf League (AGL) this season.
Coming in as defending champions, Al Ahli are lying in sixth place with just 15 points following four wins, three draws and one loss from the eight matches played so far. The Red Knights have a pending match against AFC Champions League runners-up Al Ain scheduled to be played later this month.
On Saturday, Al Ahli take on Al Wahda — fourth in the standings with 16 points after nine matches — with the hope that their fans will continue pushing them towards greater heights, just like they did in their high intensity goalless draw against leaders Al Wasl last week.
“We owe our gratitude to the fans for coming out in huge numbers and supporting our push to the top,” Al Ahli coach Cosmin Olaroiu told media.
“During this game we really felt we played football, and much of this was due to the fantastic atmosphere inside the stadium and we could feel the intensity of the game. The wish of our team was very high and I hope our fans will come and sustain us in the next games as well,” he added.
Al Ahli started off the season on a promising note with comfortable wins against Emirates, Al Nasr and Dibba. Following a goalless draw against neighbours and arch-rivals Al Shabab, they found their scoring touch with a 6-0 drubbing of Hatta.
However, they have been bogged down by doubts after that huge win as they went down 2-0 to Al Jazira, squandered a 3-1 lead to settle for a 3-3 draw against Al Dhafra before returning with a point following last week’s draw against Al Wasl.
Despite this, the coach sees hope. “In a normal situation this is an important match for both teams. Al Wahda play football and try to score goals and we too hope we can start scoring, win the three points and give our fans some joy while celebrating the UAE National Day,” Olaroiu said.
