Big guns look to make amends for slump in form

Abu Dhabi: The 10th week of the Etisalat First Division Football League promises some exciting duels on Sunday.

For the first time in a decade, Al Ain host Al Wahda as both teams are placed in the middle of the standings.

All four teams have had poor starts to the season. Al Ain and Al Ahli are on 14 points each, 8 points behind the leaders. Al Wahda have 10, while Al Nasr, with only 6 points, are deep into the relegation zone.

However, despite their disappointing positions on the standings, these have often dished out exciting contests.

Al Ain and Al Wahda have both improved their performances recently and have moved up the standings. Al Wahda won their last two matches, Al Ain collected four points, Al Ahli earned a full six points, while Al Nasr lost both their matches.

It is amazing that the poor start of the season for all the four big teams have led to firing of their respective head coaches.

The other problem common to the big four clubs is the poor quality of most of their foreign professionals.

Al Wahda have changed their three professionals, Al Nasr sacked two of them. Al Ain have retained Othman Ghalo while Nashaat Akram went to Manchester City in a failed deal after the British authorities refused to issue a work permit to the Iraqi midfielder. Sufian Al Aloudi is taking part with Morocco in the African National Cup where he scored a hat-trick against Namibia before sustaining an injury. Al Ahli are looking for strikers to replace Gregory and Cesar.

But these teams have highly gifted local players who can win valuable points for their clubs.