Sharjah and Al Jazira are the surprise teams, in a positive sense, at the season’s midway point. The former for rising, the latter for not falling.
Can we agree that Paulo Bonamigo is something of a miracle worker? He kept Al Shabab relevant for three seasons, including a No 4 finish in 2011 and No 3 in 2012, had Jazira second in the league when he was precipitously dismissed in February, and now has the promoted Sharjah in the Asian Champions League places.
He has discovered a fine young goalkeeper in Mohammed Yousuf, organised the league’s stingiest defence and receives just enough goals from his Brazilian pair of Fellype Gabriel and Ze Carlos. If the definition of success is doing more with less, he is the league’s finest coach.
Walter Zenga is not far behind. In October, he took over a jaded Jazira who had lost their way after several coaching changes and were suddenly old in several key spots.
He quickly settled on Abdelaziz Barrada as his difference-maker in midfield and hardened a soft side by reintroducing Khalid Sabeel at right-back and Yaser Matar as a holding midfielder. He appears ready to make a hard but probably necessary decision to jettison Ricardo Oliveira, whose form has deserted him, at age 33.
It seemed fitting that Sharjah and Jazira should play a 1-1 draw this week and are deadlocked on 23 points. Sharjah’s spirit and organisation was impressive, but Jazira were feisty and more energetic than we have seen. There are formidable sides, and their coaches have much to do with that.
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