DUBAI // For so long underachievers on the continent, UAE football suddenly finds itself in a position of unprecedented prosperity.
The 2014 Asian Champions League, in contrast to its more recent revisions, has granted Emirati clubs unexpected success, with three sides poised to progress to the knockout stages.
With a round of fixtures to spare, Al Ain and Al Jazira have already booked their spots in the last 16.
Should Al Ahli earn a point against Al Sadd in Qatar tonight, then the UAE will have a trio of representatives beyond the group stage for the first time since the competition’s rebranding more than a decade ago.
No wonder the new Arabian Gulf League champions, who are immersed in attempting to win a historic domestic treble, are so focused on the task at hand. Ahli do not want to be left behind.
“This is another final for us,” said Hugo Viana, the Ahli midfielder. “If we beat Al Sadd it will be the first time Al Ahli has gone through [from the group stage] in the Champions League.”
Victory for all three UAE clubs – tonight Al Ain host Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad, with Jazira entertaining the Saudi league’s Al Shabab 24 hours later – will guarantee their passage to the next round as group winners.
In theory, their path to the quarter-finals becomes more navigable as they play the second leg of the last 16 at home.
It marks a stark contrast to UAE football’s fortunes during its professional era.
Between 2009 and 2013, a period in which the Emirates’ allocation was increased to four teams, only three sides have escaped their group.
The nadir was 2010, when all four UAE clubs – Jazira, Ahli, Al Ain and Al Wahda – finished bottom of their respective pools.
A year previously, as Ahli managed a solitary point from six matches and Al Shabab propped up their group, a despondent Sharjah withdrew with two fixtures remaining.
Yet, there has since been progress, albeit slow. In 2012, Jazira and Baniyas made it through to the knockout rounds, while last season Shabab also took a place in the last 16.
This season’s swift upsurge, though, is difficult to define. Granted, Jazira and Ahli have strengthened their squads with footballers of substantial pedigree: Abdelaziz Barrarda, Felipe Caicedo, Jucilei da Silva and Viana each has big-game European experience.
Recent emphasis has also been placed on recruiting players at their peak, both foreign and Emirati.
At Al Ain, the club have no doubt inadvertently benefited from their league struggles.
Having long ago given up hope of a third successive top-flight title – Al Ain fell as low as ninth – the Champions League has offered welcome respite and prompted renewed impetus.
Just last week, Al Ain defeated Lekhwiya 5-0 in Qatar. Asamoah Gyan, the Al Ain striker, is the 2014 tournament’s top scorer with seven goals.
UAE delegates have become more savvy on their travels, too, with Jazira and Ahli unbeaten on the road this season.
Last month’s 2-1 victory against Sepahan gave Ahli their first win outside the Emirates in 14 attempts, while Al Ain’s triumph at Lekhwiya ended a barren away run stretching back eight years and 16 matches.
UAE clubs need no longer look to the past; this week they can continue to blaze a trail across Asia.
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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