Dubai: Al Ahli skipper Mohammad Qasim feels the strain of wearing the captain's armband, not just on the field but off it as well.
However, after a long time Qasim had reason to afford a satisfying smile following his team's 2-0 win against Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia in a pre-season friendly late on Monday.
"We have 25 good players and everybody is aware of his job and that is one huge positive that we take from this match," the former UAE captain told media after the match.
"This was our first game after a three-week camp in Australia. We did well as we got a good measure of ourselves and what we can achieve by taking on strong opponents like Al Hilal. Everyone knows that it is going to be strong this season for all teams, but we have a good team, a good coach and good foreign players. We hope to have some steady results this year," he shrugged.
Consecutive eighth place finishes in two seasons after their maiden triumph in the new professional league did not help raise the profile of this club. David O'Leary came and departed after just eight months into his contract, while former Italian captain Fabio Cannavaro preferred to take a step sideways after one season with the Red Devils.
Hence, Monday's win against Al Hilal may have come at the right time, and that too without the services of eight of their first-choice players who are involved with the national sides for the 2014 Fifa World Cup and 2012 London Olympics qualifiers. "That we were missing some of our main players is the only negative we have," Qasim remarked.
Learning process
On Saturday, the five-time UAE champions will be up against Qatar League champions Lekhwiya in their second friendly and Qasim thinks his team will only get better. "Today was the first game for us and Saturday we will be much better. This is a huge learning process and we hope to take the best from these experiences as we head into the new season," he noted.
"I am happy to be the captain of this group. It is not an easy task as I am expected to perform and shoulder certain responsibilities on and off the field. I don't like players being fined for coming late for training sessions. They get a salary cut. I go and represent these players. We have a good young group and everybody knows their job, so it is just fair that we continue persevering," Qasim added.
He was all praise for coach Ivan Hasek who is marking his second stint at Al Ahli. "Sometimes players don't need a coach. They need a friend and a brother and I think Hasek knows how to go about getting the best from his players," Qasim said.
