DUBAI // Victorious twice over Al Ahli already this season, Abdullah Misfir is confident his Al Dhafra team can make it three in a row and advance to the final of the President's Cup for the first time in their history on Thursday.
Al Dhafra first defeated Ahli 3-1 in the opening week of the League Cup in September and were then awarded a 3-0 win earlier this month after the hosts were penalised for using an ineligible player in what was originally a 3-1 win for Ahli in the Arabian Gulf League.
Dhafra were 2-1 winners in a league match last May as well.
Ahli have only one success against Dhafra over the past two seasons – a 4-3 win in a penalty shoot-out in the third round of the President’s Cup last year after the two teams had finished tied at 1-1 – but Misfir is confident his team can maintain their recent good form against the league leaders team when they meet the defending champions at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi.
“We know how good a team Ahli are and we are aware of their position in the league,” Misfir said.
“But the cup matches are different to the league matches. We have beaten them twice this season, in the cup and league, regardless of the circumstances of the second win, and, God willing, we will beat them for the third time.”
Dhafra made it to the last four with a 1-0 upset of last year’s losing finalists, Al Shabab, on January 13 and since then they have managed draws with Baniyas and Al Ain, spoiling the latter’s housewarming party at their new Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.
Gaining in confidence, Misfir’s men have run up an unbeaten streak of six matches and the manager, the only Emirati coach in the Arabian Gulf League, is optimistic his team can maintain their good form.
“We have prepared for every possible scenario,” he said. “Our players are ready to play 120 minutes and the penalties, if it comes to that. We know Ahli are one of the most complete teams in the country and have an impressive attack. So it is going to be a lot of hard work for our players and they are ready for it.”
Catalin Raducan, Ahli’s assistant manager, said his team will have to be patient in their approach to break down Dhafra’s defence. The Dubai club have won the competition eight times, a record they hold with level Sharjah.
“We fully understand the importance of this game,” he said. “So we have to focus and make sure we do not rush into things. We have to be patient in order to achieve our objectives ... Dhafra are a team that defend really well and seize any opportunity that comes their way. We saw that in their last match, when Al Ain were on the attack right through the game but managed to score only once.”
[ arizvi@thenational.ae ]
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