ABU DHABI // Al Jazira's mid-season signings Felipe Caicedo, the Ecuador international, and the Brazilian Jucilei da Silva are confident the Abu Dhabi club could still win the Arabian Gulf League title.
“I checked on all statistics of the club and where they were in the league before deciding to move to Abu Dhabi,” Caicedo said when the two players were unveiled at the club on Friday.
“Jazira are only six points behind the top team and, with 36 points to play for, I think the chances to win the league is within our reach.
“This is the ambitions of the club and it is our ambitions, too.”
Jazira are in fourth place on 26 points with 12 games left in the competition.
Caicedo and Da Silva get to showcase their abilities when they make their first appearances for their new club against the crisis-hit Al Wasl at Zabeel Stadium on Saturday night.
“Obviously, we are looking forward to the first game,” Caicedo said. “We are professional players, and I don’t think adapting to play in a new league would be a problem for us.
“I have been playing in Russia for three years and adapted well from the very first season. Jucilei has spent the same time as me in the same league, and we know each other’s game well.
“We have had a few training sessions with the rest of the players at Jazira before the first game, and I feel that’s good enough for our first game.”
Caicedo turned down an offer from Spanish giants Valencia for the three-year deal from Jazira.
“I accepted Jazira’s offer because they have given me a longer term, which means I don’t have any worries for the next three years,” he said. Asked if a move from Europe to the Gulf would jeopardise his selection to the national team, his said: “My place in the national team will depend on me. I will have to prove myself of my capabilities wherever I play, and I am confident I can do that.”
Da Silva arrived in Abu Dhabi two weeks ago on a three-and-a-half year deal in place of compatriot Ricardo Oliveira. Caicedo flew in earlier in the week and replaced Jazira’s summer signing Nelson Valdez, the Paraguay forward.
“I am very happy to be here and very excited to be playing for Jazira. My goal is to achieve the club’s objectives,” Da Silva said.
Ayedh Mabkhout, a member of the club’s board of directors, expects a significant improvement following the signings.
“We haven’t given a time period to achieve our objectives, but obviously we want to win the league and give a good account of the club in the Asian Champions League,” he said. “Ricardo still has 18 months left on his contract. We have received a lot of offers for him from both, local clubs and from abroad. We will see what’s best for us as well as for the player.”
apassela@thenational.ae
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OTHER GAMES
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Ajman v Al Ain, 5.05pm
The visitors will look to build on their dramatic President’s Cup victory over Al Wasl when they visit Ajman. They will be without Michel Bastos, the Brazilian who is being loaned to Napoli, but they should still have too much firepower for the hosts, the only club in the league with only one victory.
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Al Shabab v Sharjah, 5.05pm
Shabab will be looking to consolidate their No 2 place in the table when they play host to third-place Sharjah, who are only one point in arrears. Goals may be scarce. Sharjah have scored the fewest goals of any side in the league, 15, for coach Paulo Bonamigo but have conceded a league-low 11.
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