ABU DHABI // The inconsistency of Al Jazira seems to be worrying the coach Abel Braga. The Brazilian didn't appear at the post match conference, apparently upset with his team's unconvincing 1-0 result over Al Dhafra in Sunday's Pro League clash. Jazira's trend so far has been, one good performance followed by an ordinary one. They hammered Sharjah 4-0 in the last league match and struggled with Dhafra, and it has been the same all season.
They missed a handful of chances against Dhafra and were lucky the visitors too were off target, with one rocket from the Iran international Rasoul Khatibi which crashed against the bar. "We missed three key players and this had a massive impact on our strength," said the Dhafra coach Mohammed Kwid, who was without the captain Mohammed Salem, the Iranian Mahdi Rajabzadeh and Nigerian defender Kenneth Ikwugbado.
"For us, this is an issue, because we don't have so many players at their level, and playing against a side like Jazira, it becomes so much more difficult." Kwid's job is to ensure Dhafra remain in the Pro League, but the Syrian coach will be feeling the pressure following this result. Braga has no such worries with his team at the top end of the ladder. But the coach's worry is a concern for their camp to play more consistently, and they come up against Al Ain next.
Al Ahli beat Al Shaab 2-0 last night, with Hosny Rabo and Hassan Ali scoring for the Dubai-based side. apassela@thenational.ae
