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UAE football squads ready to go into AFC Champions League 5th round

After finishing their Etisalat Pro-League Round 17 matches, Al Ain, Al Wahda, Al Jazira football teams continued their daily preparations prior to their decisive 2011 AFC Champions League games. Emirates is the only team who will play at home ground when they take on Zob Ahan of Iran on Tuesday May 3 in Ras Al Khaimah while Abu Dhabi Emirate clubs Al Ain, Al Jazira and Al Wahda are to face their rivals Seoul of South Korea, Al Gharafa of Qatar and Bunyodkor of Uzbekistan at their grounds. Al Wahda will play tomorrow but both Al Ain and Al Jazira will meet their opponents on Wednesday May 4.

Al Jazira, leaders of the Etisalat Pro-League are currently out of contention and they totally have lost their chance to qualify to the second stage of the continental championship after losing to the Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal 2-3 in round 4. The home team Al Jazira were close to emerge winners and revive their hopes to go ahead after surprising the visiting team in round 4 scoring two quick goals before Al Hilal players went all out pulling off an incredible 3-2 victory to raise their tally to nine points from four games, the same balance of Sepahan from Iran. Al Jazira have collected one point so far from four matches that sees them at the bottom of Group "A". They will face Al Gharafa of Qatar on Wednesday who have a narrow chance after both Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia and Sepahan of Iran tightened their grip on the leadership of Group "A" and the Qatar side's hopes depend on the outcome of the 5th and 6th rounds.

Emirates squad revived their hopes and strengthened their chance of reaching the last 16 in the continental competition after beating Al Shabab of Saudi Arabia 2-1 in their last match. They will meet Zob Ahan on Tuesday May 3 without a number of their key players especially Mustafa Saeed who was shown the red card against Al Shabab of Saudi Arabia and Hadif Saeed who have collected two yellow cards.

Al Ain also have a little chance to qualify to the best 16 after defeating Hangzhou Green Town of China with a lone goal at Tahnoun Bin Mohammed Stadium in their previous encounter to raise their tally to four points, the same balance collected by the Chinese side, but Al Ain are sitting in 3rd position after winning in their head-to-head-match against Hangzhou. Al Ain will play their Wednesday's game against Seoul of South Korea with the reserve team after their Brazilian coach Alexander Gallo excluded all key players who are currently conducting their training sessions at home ground to get ready before facing Al Ahli in their Etisalat Pro-League round 16 postponed game rescheduled for May 8.

On the other side Al Wahda will face Bunyodkor of Uzbekistan tomorrow at 5pm, UAE time. Al Wahda are staying in third position on three points after holding hosts Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia to a goalless draw in their 2011 AFC Champions League round 4 match played at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah before a couple of days, a result that helped the Saudi side to secure a berth in the 16 stage of the continental competition after collecting ten points that see them on top of Group C, five ahead of their closest rivals.