Dubai: Al Shabab forward Henrique Luvannor has vowed to learn from his mistakes after serving his one-match Arabian Gulf League (AGL) suspension after being sent off earlier this month.
The Brazilian-born Moldovan international was dismissed for collecting a pair of yellow cards against Al Wahda in a game the Hawks won 1-0 despite finishing with nine men.
And Luvannor was then banned for Al Shabab’s next AGL match against newly promoted Dibba, when the Dubai club dropped two costly points in a goalless draw.
Despite that draw, Al Shabab have done well so far this season, winning four from five matches in all competitions. They are in fourth place in the AGL standings with seven points behind early leaders and defending champions Al Ain and Al Nasr, who have nine points each, and Bani Yas, who they trail only on goal difference.
A vital lesson learned, Luvannor now wants to produce a strong response against Bani Yas on Saturday.
“It felt rather depressing to sit out and watch your teammates on the ground without you. Never again am I going to commit such a mistake,” Luvannor told Gulf News.
“I am very happy to be back with my team after missing one match. That break away from the ground has sort of helped me take another look at things. I think I am well prepared for the next match. I am ready and I think that the ban did me good.
“I am much more motivated now than the last game. I am bent on making the difference against Bani Yas after seeing how much my team was missing due to my absence.”
Since signing for the Al Mamzar club from Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol last season, Luvannor has impressed while adding vital speed down the flanks in place of Brazilian Ciel, who defected along with Walid Abbas to neighbours and arch-rivals Al Ahli at the start of last year.
This season, Luvannor has found an ideal foil in former Brazilian World Cup striker Jo, while Uzbekistan captain Azizbek Hydarov and Chilean Carlos Villanueva have also impressed in midfield for Caio Junior’s side.
“I realise that I have the speed that can help our strikers and this is a huge motivation for me to stay focused on the field. We are a team and we have been together and we want to exploit all our positives as a unit,” he said.
“I was sad to see the team without me. I realise how important it is for the foreign players to be in the side along with the UAE players. One foreign player is out and it makes all the difference in the team.
“I think I am a player who learns from his mistakes and grows. I never want to miss any match in the future due to a red card.”
