DUBAI // Al Ahli are preparing for this week's game against Sharjah with renewed enthusiasm after last week's much-meeded win over Ajman.
Having suffered an embarrassing 4-0 defeat against Al Wasl in the President's Cup, Ahli bounced back with a 2-0 win over Ajman on Friday. It was only their third win in eight league matches this season; the other two have come against the back-markers Emirates and Dubai.
Al Ahli face Sharjah on Thursday, and Abdulmajeed Hussain, one of the team officials, is confident thewin will act as a springboard for better things.
"The win over Ajman is important at many levels," Hussain said. "It will be a major morale-booster for the players and spur them on for the coming matches.
"It has come at a really important time after the defeat against Al Wasl. We did not play anywhere close to our levels and crashed out of a tournament that is really dear to our hearts.
"So we worked really hard before the Ajman game to create a positive atmosphere inside the squad and the players seem to be regaining their confidence."
Hussain was particularly pleased to see Ahli win the match with only one of their foreign players on the pitch: Grafite. Jakson Coelho left for home without permission after the Wasl match and the club have yet to hear from him, while the other two, Luis Jimenez and Youssef Mohammed, are on the injury list.
"It proves that our local players have high potential and can offer a lot to the team," Hussain said. "We have full faith in them and we are confident they will bring cheers to our fans through their performances in the coming period."
