Bani Yas team return home from training

The Bani Yas senior football team returned home early yesterday morning from their one-month training camp held at Trutnov, in the Czech Republic.

The squad played a number of friendlies in preparation for the 2002-2003 season.

"We are happy and satisfied with the training camp," team manager Abdullah Al Ghailani told Gulf News yesterday. "The facilities were good and the weather was fine despite heavy rains that marred some of our friendlies."

Bani Yas, relegated to the second division last season, are preparing for the President's Cup's first round, which will kick off on September 12.

They will compete in Group C which also features: Al Shaab, Al Nasr, Dubai, Emirates Club, Al Orooba and Al Araby. Bani Yas will commence their matches by hosting Dubai on the first day of the competition.

The team under their new Tunisian coach, Lutfi Rahimi, will resume domestic trainings tomorrow and will play three friendly matches against Al Wahda, Al Dhafrah and Ajman before hosting Dubai in their President's Cup opener.

Bani Yas won the tournament in 1992-93 and regarded it as their biggest ever achievement.

Bani Yas will use the friendlies to try out a few foreign pros. They include Sudanese James Joseph.

Ahmed Al Amry, Senior Team Supervisor, said: "We have a number of players nominated to join the team but the final decision will be left to the coach after trying them and according to the need of the team.

"The new players should pass the medical check up and the technical requirements first before signing to join the team.

"We will meet with the coach and show him the list of the nominees which include the Arab, the African and the Brazilian players in different positions. The coach will shortlist them to three or four.

"We will try them out in friendlies before sending them for the medical check ups. We want to be sure that our new players meet our requirements as we realise that promotion to the first division will be tough in this season."

The second division league will kick off on October 23. The top two teams will win promotion to the first division after the teams are divided into two groups.