Orange brigade show how it's done

If you are looking for a story of the season then you would be hard-pressed to find a better one than the performance of tiny Ajman this term.

From the smallest of UAE's seven emirates, the Orange Brigade were promoted to the Etisalat Pro League with the tag of relegation favourites tattooed on them. And despite the fact they won the President's Cup in 1984 and were runners-up in the Etisalat Cup two years ago, it looked an appropriate tag.

The last time they were in the top flight, in 2009/10, Ajman went down with just two wins, eight points and 68 goals conceded but this time the contrast could not be greater.

With four rounds remaining they are fifth, just six points and one place behind possible AFC Champions League qualification. And although that looks out of reach, it is still a remarkable achievement.

The success Ajman have enjoyed has been based on sound principles. They have made sure they have been tough to beat as only Al Ain and Al Shabab have conceded fewer goals. Besides, they have beaten the poorer-performing sides like Dubai, Emirates, Sharjah and Baniyas, a basic requirement for teams wanting to survive at the top level.

Staying calm

To their credit, they have also bucked the trend in UAE football to panic and make knee-jerk changes. Sharjah, currently bottom, are a walking example of what that does but Ajman, by contrast, remained calm and stuck with Iraqi coach Abdul Wahab Abdul Qader despite a start that produced three draws and two losses.

They also remained calm when they lost Senegalese striker Ebrahima Toure to Monaco during the January transfer window. Toure carried the side with his goals in the first half of the season with 14 strikes in 16 matches. But, far from wilt, the team have gone from strength to strength with Tia Olivier from the Ivory Coast, ineffective before the turn of the year, suddenly finding his shooting boots to take up the slack.

And in 2012 the team have taken 18 points from nine matches, including four wins from their past five games. The side even manoeuvred themselves into a decent position to reach the semi-finals of the Etisalat Cup before losing their last two matches of the group stages as the league took priority. The question now is whether Ajman can finish the season strongly and, more importantly, build on it or whether they will suffer that well-known footballing disease known as second season syndrome.

Low profile

Ajman are not a fashionable club and the pockets of the owners do not appear as deep as the likes of President's Cup winners Al Jazira, Al Ain or Al Wasl. But one way to try and ensure they maintain their progress will be to keep hold of Olivier and Hassan Ma'atouk, the Lebanese winger who has spent this term on loan from Al Ahed club in his home country.

Ma'atouk has the prospect of being part of Lebanon's continuing bid for a place in the 2014 World Cup but although that ship sailed for the UAE some time ago, this country still has plenty to get excited about at international level. The draw for the Olympic football tournament has paired Mahdi Ali's youngsters with Great Britain, Senegal and Uruguay, including a dream tie against the hosts at Wembley Stadium.

It is a tough draw but also a superb opportunity to put UAE football on a global stage. Let us hope the players rise to the challenge because if they do then it would be a huge boost for the game in this country.