Ajman coach keen on avoiding relegation

Dubai: Ajman coach Abdul Wahab Abdul Qader insists avoiding relegation remains his No. 1 aim this season despite overseeing an impressive charge up the Etisalat Pro League table.

Abdul Qader's latest victims were Diego Maradona's Al Wasl, as the visitors humbled their more prestigious opponents 4-2 in the final 14th round match here late on Wednesday.

That gives the Ajman side an enviable seventh place with 18 points, leaving better-known teams such as Al Ahli, Bani Yas and Sharjah trailing in their wake.

"None of our ambitions have changed," the Ajman coach told media. "When we started the season our motive was to stay in the Pro League. And now we see that we are getting the results, even though they are coming against much better teams compared to us. So if these results keep coming and we find ourselves in a much higher position, then we will take these gladly."

Abdul Qader blamed a series of bad results on luck — a 4-3 loss to defending champions Al Jazira and a 2-1 defeat against Al Nasr last week coming to mind.

"Our luck has been dismal. We have done all the hard work, but we have not been lucky. I have to thank all my players for their willingness to put in the hard work and keep total respect for what I tell them," the coach said.