Ivan Leko: We Have to Be Cautious of Al Dhafra Strikers
“I have warned my players of Al Dhafra strikers as they are dangerous,” Al Ain Head Coch, Ivan Leko, opened the pre-match press conference dedicated for Al Ain matchweek 10 of the Arabian Gulf League scheduled to be held at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium on Thursday 19th December 2019 at 06:00 p.m.
He stressed that his team’s opponent is one of the most dynamic teams of the league. “We will play against a team that has an aggressive front line. They have three players who could score and finish the match in their favor at any point in time.”
He underlined that his squad should be on alert and ready to have a clash match against the opponent. He said: “We have to be the better team in the match to win its points.”
Leko added: “We have a straightforward goal, i.e., to keep going with the high-level performance and win our opponents as we are back to the right victory track and winning our recent away match against Ajman 4-1.”
The head coach also addressed a message to the Ainawi Nation, calling for their support to the players in the upcoming matches. “The team in deep need of the fans’ support for it has a positive impact on the players’ morale given the busy and tight schedule of the matches.”
Ivan Leko, who is in the first year of his contract with Al Ain FC, pointed out that he is focusing only on his team. “I only focus on my team, and my sights are set to achieve the best results. I am the same coach who won Al Sharjah 2-1 in the Arabian Gulf Cup and held at a 2-2 draw by Al Nasr and recently won Ajman. I am here doing my job.”
“The most important issue is to achieve victories. We are in Al Ain win together and lose together. The basic element is always the players; my role is to help them to do their best. Indeed, I would like to thank the fans for their support to the team and the Club’s Board of Directors,” he stated.
As for the injured players, Leko stated confirmed that Mohammed Khalfan will not play until the end of the season due to injury. He also said that Rayan had not played any match since the kickoff of the league. He indicated that at least we have Meziane back to the squad as he is one of the key players of the team and expected to do a lot to the side.
He said that Mohammed Shaker started to recover gradually, and Bandar still needs a further medical examination in the coming days to determine when he could rejoin the team.
He concluded by wishing all the players all the best and being safe and seeing all of them on board in the current stage.
