Coach Cate says decision to step down is final

Dubai:  UAE League Champions Al Ahli were handed down a 5-0 thrashing, but the resignation of their coach Henk Ten Cate is what took centrestage at the Rashid Stadium late on Wednesday.

"I am deeply ashamed for myself and for the club. This is the worst day in my coaching career and I have a feeling I am not the right person to lead this club," Cate told a stunned media at the post-match conference late on Wednesday.

"I am responsible and I am a man and I will face the responsibility for the defeat as this is my mistake. I have made my decision and I will not change it," Cate added.

It took 35 minutes for the visitors to break through the Al Ahli defence. And once they started, there was bare little the home team could do in stopping the barrage led by Brazilian Leandro Montera Da Silva's hat-trick, while Yousuf Ahmad and Ali Afif added one each.

"My resignation has everything to do with the mentality of the players and I can't change that. I tried and failed. I am too expensive a coach and I also have my name and credibility to defend," Cate stated.

The 5-0 mauling from the Qataris left the UAE champions at the bottom of Group D with no points after two matches.

No good

"Nothing was good about this match. There was no fight, no battle, the players did not stand by each other and our best player Salmeen Khamis was the youngest on the field, while the rest were simply not good enough. I don't mind the defeat but I expected each one of them to fight till the last minute, and this did not happen," Cate added.

Al Sadd coach was stunned by the outcome of the match. "I had said this would be a tough match, but I did not expect such a result," Al Sadd's Romanian coach Cosmin Olaroiu admitted. "We are known for our intensity and the ability to score goals. But today they gave us the liberty to play and we took it," Olaroiu stated.

Al Sadd are now second in Group D with a better goal difference after Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia beat Mes Kerman of Iran 3-1 later in the night.

"We will take this forward. For me, it means I have the possibility of using different players taking into consideration the packed schedule," Olaroiu added.