DUBAI // Ivan Hasek has urged Al Ahli to show some fight when they host red-hot Al Ain in the Etisalat Cup tomorrow. Ahli had started the season with a win over Al Shabab in the Super Cup, but the juggernaut was brought to a halt at Al Wahda when they lost 4-1 and they were then dumped 2-0 in their cup opener at Al Nasr.
For a team billed as one of the front-runners for silverware this season, the two defeats have come as a jolt and coach Hasek hopes it will charge them up for the battles ahead. "We need to make up for the two losses," said the former Czech national team captain. "We need to fight harder to make our supporters happy." He added: "We have been preparing well for this game. We know we have lost two games and we need to play a lot better. We need to fight and win this game for our fans."
Ahli will still be missing their UAE players, but the Egyptian player Hosni Abd Rabo has returned to Dubai after taking part in a 4-0 crushing of Djibouti in the 2010 World Cup qualifier. Ain have won three of their four games this season, and only dropped points in a goalless draw at Dhafra. But "The Bosses" did drop their guard a little in their 1-0 cup win over Ajman last week at home. Coach Winfried Schaefer was not happy with that performance and hopes to make every chance count at Al Ahli.
"We lost focus after our first goal and lost too many potential goals," he said. "We have to guard against this at Ahli. They are a top side, but if we play to our potential I am sure we will get a positive result." arizvi@thenational.ae
