Al Ahli coach warns league leaders to expect stern test from Al Wahda

Al Wahda expected to be primed after President's Cup loss

Al Ahli assistant coach Catalin Raducan has warned his team not to take Al Wahda lightly despite defeating them in the President's Cup earlier this week. Sammy Dallal / The National

Catalin Raducan, Al Ahli’s assistant coach, has warned his players to beware of a backlash from Al Wahda as his team travel to take on the Abu Dhabi club, four days after knocking them out of the President’s Cup.

Unimpressive in the first half and trailing 2-1 at the break, Ahli scored three times in the second half on Monday night to book their place in the semi-finals of the President’s Cup.

Raducan, who is manning the dugout as coach Cosmin Olaroiu serves a six-month touchline ban, expects Wahda to be even tougher on Friday.

The sides meet in the capital with Ahli trying to protect their five-point lead at the top of the table.

“There will certainly be a strong reaction from them after their loss in the President’s Cup,” Raducan said. “Wahda had high hopes this season, and their exit from the President’s Cup has probably brought their season to an end.

“So I am expecting a really tough game at Wahda as I believe they will come out really strongly.”

Raducan wants his side to show more consistency than they did on Monday, adding: “We have been working to eliminate the mistakes we made in the first half of that game.

“If we can play the way we played in the second half, I am confident we can get a positive result at Al Wahda.”

Ahli will have changes in their line-up on Friday as Ciel is suspended and Amer Mubarak has been ruled out for the remainder of the season through injury.