DUBAI // Cosmin Olaroiu has backed Moussa Sow to come good at Al Ahli, insisting the player simply needs time to show his best form.
Sow, 29, joined the club in early September on a four-year contract from Turkish side Fenerbahce, in a reported €17 million (Dh68.5m) deal, making him one of the most expensive imports in UAE football history.
Sow has been used more regularly by the Dubai club as his fitness has improved, making 12 appearances in total, scoring twice. Since he was signed long after the deadline for the Asian Champions League, the Senegalese forward did not play any part in Ahli's run to the final last month.
Read more Al Ahli news:
[ Al Ahli get back on track with victory over Al Nasr ]
[ No stopping Al Ahli and Abel Braga takes ‘full responsibility’ for Al Jazira’s continuing slide ]
However, Olaroiu cited the examples of players such as Everton Ribeiro and Kwon Kyung-won when saying he expects Sow to get better once the adaption to the Arabian Gulf League is complete.
“For sure, it’s not the best Moussa Sow in this moment,” Olaroiu said. “But we have the experience with other players who came and in the beginning it wasn’t what we expected. And that’s why we have to give them time, encourage them in all ways possible to bring them to the best shape.
“Now he finds more space to play and we hope he grows game by game. He has to get back his physical shape and his confidence. He has only one way to improve.”
Olaroiu needs a full squad for a busy period these next few weeks, with Wednesday’s Arabian Gulf Cup match against Al Dhafra part of a gruelling schedule that includes 10 fixtures in six weeks for Ahli since their Champions League defeat.
Yet Kwon sustained a knee injury in Friday’s league encounter with Al Nasr and will be out for three to four weeks. He joins on the sidelines goalkeeper Ahmed Dida and winger Ismail Al Hammadi.
Speaking about Kwon, Olaroiu said: “For me, he’s a big miss for us, one of the best fighters in the team, the same as Ismail. And the team needs fighters - they are very important for us. Now we try to find a way to cover this problem.”
jmcauley@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport