Quique Sanchez Flores, the Al Ain coach, hopes his side can maintain their winning momentum when they meet Al Shabab, the second-place team in the Arabian Gulf League, tonight.
The 11-time league champions go into the match at the Tahnoun bin Mohammed Stadium in an upbeat mood after a resounding 3-0 win over Al Wasl last Friday.
“The New Year has started well for us and I wish to keep this winning for my team,” Sanchez Flores said.
“The most important thing in this game is that we didn’t concede a goal. So the morale is high in the camp and, with such confidence, we are hopeful of another good performance.
“I should thank Al Ain’s faithful fans who were behind us for the entire 90 minutes in our victory over Wasl. I am sure they will be behind us, as always, in this game too.
“Shabab are a good team. That’s why they are in second position. It is a key game for both teams because if we win we get close to the leading group and if they win, they will be in a stronger position.”
Sanchez Flores insisted it was too early to think about the league title but what was important for his team was to improve their performances and achieve good results.
Meanwhile, Baniyas will be looking to end their five-game winless drought when they host Ajman.
“It has been a very frustrating period for us and winning against Ajman would certainly do a world of good to the morale of the team,” said Jorge da Silva, the Baniyas coach.
“We were a bit unlucky when we had to play with 10 players for more than 70 minutes in a 1-1 draw against Al Shabab [last Friday].
“We can take a lot of positives from that game because in my opinion it was an excellent result against a team who are second in the league table.”
Sharjah will look to consolidate their position in the top half of the Arabian Gulf League table when they take on Al Wasl at home.
“I wouldn’t for sure know of their mindset coming in to this game but our objective is crystal clear, which is to win the three points,” said Paulo Bonamigo, the Sharjah coach.
apassela@thenational.ae
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