Today's Edition
KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
Shabab Al Ahli swept all but one title this season after the 48th UAE President's Cup glory against Sharjah in Abu Dhabi, and focus now settles on the secondary battles at both ends of the ADNOC Pro league as well as Sharjah's last chance for a cup title on the Asian stage.
The all-conquering Shabab Al Ahli will gallop into the end-of-season matches in the ADNOC Pro League, having secured the title with three matchdays to spare. They won four titles – the UAE Super Cup and the UAE-Qatar Super Cup in addition to the above-mentioned – while missing out on the ADIB Cup.
"This season has exceeded expectations," said head coach Paulo Sousa. "Since our pre-season camp, I had asked for the players to aim for the titles, and the team has delivered brilliantly," Sousa said.
Attention now turns to the race for AFC Champions League qualification and the battle to avoid relegation as Round 24 of the Pro League kicks off on Monday.
Having won their ninth domestic league title with Sharjah a distant 11 points behind, Shabab Al Ahli visit sixth-placed Al Nasr on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Sharjah have very little time to turn around from Friday's disappointment and the strain of going head to head against a team like Shabab for a record seven times this season alone.
Sharjah are in another final, the Asian Champions League (ACL) Two, and are up against Singapore's Lion City Sailors for the title clash as visitors in the island state on May 18. But before that is another key clash with fifth-placed Al Ain, who will come hard to get to the third place from the remaining three games to get back into the ACL Elite main draw.
"We need to close the chapter on the [President's] Cup and focus on the upcoming challenges in the league and ACL," said Sharjah goalkeeper Adel Al Hosani. Addressing the media in the post-match conference, he quoted the manager saying Olaroiu has "asked the players to hold their heads high and come back stronger to win the Asian title."
Al Ain coach Vladimir Ivic, who took over from Hernan Crespo mid-season, has expressed dissatisfaction with recent results but remains confident: "We've had time to prepare, and we're going in with a winning mindset."
Third-placed Al Wahda (41 points) could benefit most in this round, facing second-from-bottom Dibba Al Hosn (16 points), who are one point away from relegation. Coach Drako Milanic emphasised the need for full focus in the final matches to secure a top finish.
Al Wasl (40 points) in fourth will also look to stay in the hunt with a comfortable fixture in last-placed Al Orouba (10 points), already relegated.
Seventh-placed Al Jazira (33 points) also remain in contention for AFC Champions League 2 qualification. They host twelfth-placed Al Bataeh on Wednesday. Coach Hussein Ammouta said, despite injury setbacks to the squad plaguing their season, the team aims to finish strong after their recent 1-1 draw with Al Ain.
