Al-Sahbani: Qualifying for AFC finals is a gigantic step to recreate the 2003 breakthrough
Al Ain manager, Matar Obeid Al Dhaheri ‘Al Sahbani’ expressed happiness for Al Ain cruising to the AFC Champions league finals following a 2-2 draw with El Jaish of Qatar.
Al Sahbani also voiced deep thanks and appreciation to the players for their impressive and prolific performance, the technical and management staff, as well as the club’s fans who poured into neighboring Qatar to support their team. “Qualifying for the finals is a big stride toward winning the Asian title and recreating the 2003 breakthrough “, he added.
He noted that the technical staff was primarily concerned for keeping the players away from pressure, especially after the UAE national team lost to Saudi Arabia in the playoffs for Russia 2018 World Cup.
“Even though Al Ain won 3-1 in the home leg – which was a seemingly reassuring result – El Jaish SC proved a strong foe and capable of turning the tables if they succeed in sweeping us with a 2-0 win”, he explained.
“During the finals, we will adopt different tactics in order to fulfill the fans’ aspirations and win the prestigious title for the second time”, he went on.
On the message sent by HH Sheikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Vice-president of the executive board and of the honorary board and Chairman of Board of Directors, after winning Lokomotiv Tashkent and qualifying for the semi-final, al-Dhaheri confirmed that HH was confident that the Garden City club has both the will and determination to make it to the finals.
“Our primary aim in the match against El Jaish was to maintain a clean sheet while scoring a lead when possible. Indeed, we wasted many chances in the first half that – if properly exploited – should have granted us at least a 2-goal lead”, he explained.
“In the second half, we scored a lead which both motivated our players and propelled the foes attack, who succeeded in scoring two goals but eventually Mohammed Abdurrahman managed to score the equalizer”, he continued.
Before entering the stadium, the players were reminded that their families, as well as the whole nation, are expecting good news from them, and on top of that, HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed, the president of the Unite Arab Emirates who must be watching the game along with his brothers Their Highnesses the Sheikhs.
“I think this has tremendously motivated the players and fueled their spirit in the pitch, which eventually led them to qualify for the finals”, al-Dhaheri said.
