Dubai: Al Ahli are looking to successfully negotiate their Arabian Gulf League (AGL) fixture against Sharjah on Thursday before turning their full attention to the home semi-final of the AFC Champions League against Al Hilal.
After playing just two matches of the AGL this season, the Red Knights have managed six points for fifth place — thanks to an 8-1 mauling of new entrants Fujairah followed by a hard-fought 2-1 win over Al Dhafra. Al Nasr are at the top of the standings with 10 points followed by defending champions Al Ain with nine, while Bani Yas and Al Shabab are with eight points each in third and fourth, respectively.
For Al Ahli, this Thursday’s match against Sharjah will be their third of the AGL while all other teams will be playing Round 5 of the fixtures.
The alterations to the AGL schedule have been prompted due to Al Ahli’s engagements in the AFC Champions League.
Sharjah have just one point after four matches after losing by identical 2-1 margins to Al Shabab, Al Jazira and Al Ain till they rescued a point with a 1-1 draw against leaders Al Nasr.
With a cramped schedule to contend with, the Red Knights coach Cosmin Olaroiu is unsure whether he should risk the AGL for the AFC Champions League. “The less said about this match [against Sharjah], the better. We have two situations before us at the moment. Either we play the full team and risk injury while going for the three points against Sharjah or we rest important players and stand to lose out on the league,” Olaroiu told media yesterday.
“Sharjah is a worry for me as they are a good strong side with some young players who can make a difference. I would have expected them [PLC] to postpone this match like they did in the past by postponing the Super Cup. But then, there is hardly anything we can do at this moment, but just go and play and hope we can fulfill both goals for the club,” he added.
Olaroiu said he was pleased with the way in which his players have shown their commitment to achieving a historic feat for the Red Knights as they seek to become only the second team after Al Ain to reach the final of the AFC Champions League on October 20.
“Luckily we have had a good preparation to this season and all the hard work put in by the players is coming through,” Olaroiu said.
“We have to be cautious against Sharjah. We need to be focused. The match will be tough. Hopefully, we will have a good result and then we can turn our attention to the match against Al Hilal on Tuesday,” he added.
“We have a good squad with a lot of depth and all of them are prepared to give 100 per cent for the club.”
