Hassan al Sharif and Waleed Salem have much in common. Both are veteran Emirati goalkeepers, each has watched nearly the entire 2010/11 season from the sidelines and both are being asked to anchor their side's defence in the Etisalat Cup final tonight.
Fans normally would not expect a team to play for a trophy while using a goalkeeper who has played in exactly two league matches in the previous seven months, but such is the case for both Al Shabab and Al Ain tonight.
Al Sharif, 37, took the Shabab starting job from Salem Abdullah, 27, just two weeks ago.
Al Ain's Waleed Salem, 30, returned from a long injury layoff to achieve a clean sheet in an Asian Champions League match versus the Chinese side Hangzhou Greentown on April 19, then was back in goal for a 1-1 league match with Baniyas. He saved a penalty in that match but also made a major mistake that led to the goal.
The coaches of Al Ain and Shabab each said they valued tried and tested keepers in a pressure situation like a cup final.
"I don't like changing players, but Waleed is special," Alexandre Gallo, the Al Ain coach, said yesterday. "He has played with the national team and in many big matches, and his presence is very important for the confidence of our players in our defensive system."
Shabab's Paulo Bonamigo said: Hassan is more experienced than Salem Abdullah and now he will play in a final match, and experience is very important in a final."
Al Sharif was the winning goalkeeper in a high-pressure final just 13 months ago, when little Emirates of Ras al Khaimah shocked Shabab 3-1 in the President's Cup.
"He was our keeper, then he went to Emirates last season and won the President's Cup, and now he is back with us," said Adel Abdullah, the Shabab midfielder and captain. "He trains really hard for us and is there for us in the difficult moments.
"I'm not saying that Salem Abdullah is bad or Hassan is good. They both train hard. Hassan has experience but is a little bit old. Salem is young but he needs experience, and I think at this moment we need more experienced players like Hassan."
Like his Al Ain counterpart, al Sharif recently saved a penalty, stopping Ali Mahmoud of Al Wasl from the spot in a league game on April 16. Before that match, al Sharif's only start in the league this season had been in a 4-0 defeat to Al Wasl in early October.
"When he saved that penalty, he got the confidence back and we felt safe, and we felt a difference," Abdullah said. "He got his position back."
Waleed Salem, the Al Ain keeper and captain, missed more than a year while recovering from knee surgery. He said the side are intent on winning a trophy tonight.
"We know that this game will be written in the history of Al Ain," he said. "Our reputation is at stake. We are playing for the fans and the sheikhs who are supporting the Al Ain team and I'm sure that the team is concentrating on the match."
Gallo said he understands why the veteran keepers are playing despite limited action. "Waleed is very important to our side and [al Sharif] is very important to theirs."
Abdullah predicted that his teammate would be better prepared than Al Ain's goalkeeper because al Sharif was able to keep training even when he was not playing.
"Stopping training always has effects, bad effects on your performance," he said. "You're not fit, not 100 per cent."
Waleed Salem is the fifth goalkeeper to play for Al Ain this season, following Yousuf Abdulrahman, who was severely injured in an automobile accident; Abdullah Sultan, Dawoud Suleiman and Ismail Rabea, obtained in mid-season from Al Nasr.
Abdullah said of Al Ain's merry-go-round of keepers. "For us, I hope it has a bad effect for them, to be honest. Like maybe Waleed is not fit 100 per cent. He has confidence as an experienced player and maybe he can give that experience to his teammates. He can talk and he can guide. But to be fit? He's not fit, not really."
Al Ain's keeper expressed confidence that his side would reward their supporters with a trophy tonight. "The way we can repay our supporters is by winning this final. We have a responsibility to win this game."
Al Ain v Al Shabab Match-up
Key Battle
Jociel Ferreira v Mohammed Salem“Ciel”, the man with the Mohican and a January Al Shabab addition, has been the triggerman in their surge, and he much prefers to operate up the right side. The Al Ain left-back Salem will be asked to keep the clever Brazilian, below, from wreaking havoc. A quiet Ciel means a quiet Shabab.
Tactics
Al Ain have adopted a patient, holding style since Alexandre Gallo took over as coach in December but the side lack a cutting edge and cannot count on out-scoring the Dubai club. Shabab will seek to break up their dominance of possession by attacking the midfielder Amer Abdulrahman. Al Ain must fend off Shabab counterattacks led by the South American triumvirate of Carlos Villanueva, Julio Cesar and Ciel.
Previous meetings
This is their first meeting in an Etisalat Cup final, but they have played three times in the President Cup’s final since 1994. All three games finished 1-0, and Al Ain won the past two. In the Pro League this season they played to a 1-1 draw in December.
Probable teams
Al Ain (4-4-2) W Salem; M Salem, Juma, Fayez, Ismail; Yaslem, Abdulrahman, Keita, Al Wehaibi; Elias, Badea
Al Shabab (4-4-2) Al Sharif; Ahmed, Dhahi, Abbas, Darwish; Obaid, Mohammed, Villanueva, Abdullah; Ciel, Julio Cesar
Key facts
• Al Ain have won 15 domestic trophies (five President's Cups, nine league, one Etisalat Cup), most among UAE clubs.
• Al Shabab are 7-3-2 in all domestic competitions since Jociel Ferreira joined the side in January.
