Change is rarely smooth, and Ajman, after a summer of challenges, can vouch for that.
Since parting ways with Iraqi coach Abdulwahab Abdulqadir after four relatively successful seasons, which brought the club their first trophy in 30 years, few things have gone according to plan for Ajman.
First, their original choice for replacing Abdulqadir, Frenchman Rene Marsiglia, opted out days before his arrival, due to health concerns. Ajman managed to find a worthy successor in Tunisian Fathi Al Jabal, who spent seven seasons at the same club, Al Fateh, in his previous job and helped the team win the Saudi league title for the first time.
Then, their plan to stage an off-season camp in Germany ran into obstacles. Delays in getting visas meant the team left five days later than originally scheduled. Two of their foreign players, Iraqi defender Ahmed Ibrahim and Boris Kabi, spent a large part of that trip on the treatment table, missing friendly matches.
The two have since recovered, but that is not the end of Ajman’s woes. They have been handed an unenviable start to the schedule. In their first five matches, Al Jabal’s men will face four of the favourites for the title – Al Jazira in the opening round and Al Ain in the third, followed by defending champions Al Ahli and Al Nasr.
Driss Fettouhi, Ajman’s Moroccan midfielder, does not seem worried, though.
“We, as players, do not worry about such things,” he said. “We treat every game with the same importance. So, while we respect all our opponents, we will fight hard and try to beat them. We know we can do it and we showed that in the 2012/13 season, when we got some remarkable results.”
Al Jabal is similarly optimistic.
“There is no such thing as impossible in football,” he said. “In our sport, there are clubs who have the potential and the resources to achieve success, and then there are clubs who are diligent and fight for success.
“Ajman are in this second category. There are a lot of similarities between Ajman and my previous club, especially the spirit within the team, and that is why I am so optimistic.”
FOREIGN PLAYERS
Karim Ziani
The only new foreign players on the team, Ziani boasts French clubs such as Sochaux and Marseille on his resume, and Wolfsburg paid €10 million (Dh47.5m) to bring him to Germany in 2009. Ziani, 32, who has made 62 appearances for the Algeria national team, comes in for Simon Feindouno, and Ajman fans will hope he can work his magic in orange.
Ahmed Ibrahim
The tough-tackling Iraqi central defender played a big part of turning around Ajman’s fortunes in the second half of last season. When he arrived in January, Ajman were at the bottom of the league table with nine points from 16 matches, having conceded 32 goals. In the 10 games he played after his arrival, they conceded 14 goals and won six matches.
Boris Kabi
One of the most prolific strikers in the Arabian Gulf League, Kabi has played a significant part in keeping Ajman afloat in the country’s top division since his return in January 2012. The Ivorian has scored 43 goals in 58 league matches since. He also helped Ajman beat Al Jazira to win the League Cup title in 2013.
Driss Fettouhi
Struggling with injuries at the start of last season, the Moroccan was replaced by Ivorian Bakari Kone in January. He has returned, though, and is looking forward to continuing from where he left off at the end of the 2012/13 season. A livewire in midfield, Fettouhi, 24, will be crucial to Ajman’s success this season.
arizvi@thenational.ae
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The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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The specs: 2018 Renault Koleos
Price, base: From Dh77,900
Engine: 2.5L, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 170hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 233Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.3L / 100km
Racecard
6.30pm: The Madjani Stakes (PA) Group 3 Dh175,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 (D) 1,200m
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile (TB) Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m
The National selections
6.30pm: Chaddad
7.05pm: Down On Da Bayou
7.40pm: Mass Media
8.15pm: Rafal
8.50pm: Yulong Warrior
9.25pm: Chiefdom
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Jeronim Perovic, Hurst
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Company%20Profile
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SCORES IN BRIEF
New Zealand 153 and 56 for 1 in 22.4 overs at close
Pakistan 227
(Babar 62, Asad 43, Boult 4-54, De Grandhomme 2-30, Patel 2-64)
OTHER IPL BOWLING RECORDS
Best bowling figures: 6-14 – Sohail Tanvir (for Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings in 2008)
Best average: 16.36 – Andrew Tye
Best economy rate: 6.53 – Sunil Narine
Best strike-rate: 12.83 – Andrew Tye
Best strike-rate in an innings: 1.50 – Suresh Raina (for Chennai Super Kings against Rajasthan Royals in 2011)
Most runs conceded in an innings: 70 – Basil Thampi (for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2018)
Most hat-tricks: 3 – Amit Mishra
Most dot-balls: 1,128 – Harbhajan Singh
Most maiden overs bowled: 14 – Praveen Kumar
Most four-wicket hauls: 6 – Sunil Narine
Company%20Profile
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5