Relegation D-day looms for Al Shaab and Dibba

Abu Dhabi: The 26th and final week of this season’s Etisalat Pro-League begins on Friday night with a match that was brought forward to allow champions Al Ain to receive the league shield after their home game at Al Nasr.

But all the attention during the final matches will be given to the battle to avoid becoming the team to accompany Kalba down to the amateur division, with Al Shaab and Dibba fighting for survival.

Al Shaab have 22 points and will play away to Al Shabab, while Dibba have 20 and visit Ajman.

Dr Abdullah Misfir, the coach of Dibba, had demanded that the Professional League Committee (PLC) change the date of the Al Shabab-Al Shaab match because he believes that Al Shabab will field their second team because they have to face Al Ahli in the final of the President’s Cup next Tuesday, which, he claimed, will help Al Shaab and be unfair to his team.

Marcos Paqueta, the head coach of Al Shabab, said: “We, in Al Shabab, do not give attention to what the other teams want and our team’s good is the most important thing for us.

“What line-up we play with is the responsibility of the technical staff of the team and we have played some matches in the AFC Champions League with some young players and they have achieved good results. We are not part of the relegation battle and we don’t want to be involved.”

Meanwhile, Abdul Wahab Abdul Gadir, the head coach of Ajman, said of their final encounter against Dibba: “We have no intention to be hospitable and will not take our opponents easily to help them stay in the top league. We will play our usual game and will work hard to win the points as we did in all our matches this season, despite the fact that no one can guarantee a match’s result before its end.”

Elsewhere, Al Jazira will host Al Wahda in the Abu Dhabi derby and Al Dhafra will host Al Ahli, while Kalba will play their final game before relegation at home against Dubai.