‘Sympathetic’ Sharjah look to extend lead

Mohammad Abdullah, Staff Reporter

Sharjah and Hatta, who are poles apart in the standings, will be pitted against each other in an 11th round match of the Arabian Gulf League (AGL) on Thursday.

The round will also feature two more matches on the first day, wherein Al Wahda will take on Fujairah at the Al Nahyan Stadium, also at 6pm, while Khorfakkan welcome Al Wasl at the Saqr Bin Mohammad Al Qassimi Stadium in a late kick-off.

Leaders Sharjah will hope for a cakewalk against beleaguered Hatta and extend their lead at the top of the table after having been beaten by Bani Yas in their previous round match.

Bani Yas handed Sharjah their first defeat of the season after an unbeaten run of nine matches. It was Khorfakkan who stopped the King’s juggernaut in the seventh round after six consecutive wins propelled them to the top.

Sharjah coach Abdulaziz Al Anbari expressed his sympathy with the lowly Hatta ahead of their match and wished them all the best for the game.

“We played well against Bani Yas and missed quite a few chances where we could have scored and the game would have ended in a draw.

“But against Al Dhafra, we put up a stellar performance and there was no looking back after we scored the first goal early. This is what the football is all about. Every day is different,” said Anbari.

“We will go into the match with high spirits after storming into the semis of the President’s Cup with a convincing victory. We will try to take the same momentum into the league as well.”

Sharjah routed Al Dhafra 4-0 in their Presidents’ Cup quarter-final to return to the winning ways and they will hope to carry on the same momentum in the league as well.

“I have sympathy for Hatta as we are well aware of their position in the table. They are trying their best to remain in the top flight.

“They are looking for some positive results after a string of losses in their earlier matches. I wish them all the best for the remainder of the season,” added Anbari.

Hatta have lost nine of their ten matches and are lying at the nadir with just one point after procuring just one draw.

Sharjah’s Brazilian player Marcos Meloni said: “Despite the poor results of our bottom-ranked competitor, we respect everyone and play strongly regardless of the other teams’ status so that we can maintain our place at the top of the league.

“We are at the top of our focus for the match after returning from an important victory against a strong team like Al Dhafra. All our focus now is on our match against Hatta. We look forward to maintain our lead at the top by adding some more points,” he added.

Hatta coach predicted a tough match against Sharjah. He said Sharjah are at the top of the standings while we are fighting for survival.

“Once again we are expecting a very tough game against the leaders Sharjah. They are aspiring for the title and we are fighting to remain afloat in the league.

“For sure they are the better team than us but in football anything is possible on a given day. Who plays better wins on a given day.

“We have some injuries and absentees but I am delighted with the return of Abdullah Kazem. He is one of the best players in our squad,” he informed.