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Etisalat Cup Final: Al Jazira Pre-Match Press Conference

In the build-up to Tuesday’s Etisalat Cup Final, which kicks off at 7:40pm at Al Wasl’s Zabeel Stadium in Dubai, Al Jazira coach Luis Milla and First Team player Sultan Barghash attended a pre-match press conference to preview the big game. In what is Milla’s first final since arriving in the UAE, the chance of securing silverware is something he is not willing to pass up. “We’ve worked the whole year to reach a final like this and we will fight until the end to win it,” the Spaniard said. “The team has been gelling well and working together in recent games, so we feel we are well prepared going into the match, and to reach a big final like this is the reward for hard work in the competition throughout the season.” Milla, who has been in his head coach role at the Abu Dhabi-based club for just over two months now, is well aware of the threat posed by Ajman despite their underdog status in the match. “We will, of course, play with great respect for the opposing team, especially as they have been doing very well in their last few games. We know the Ajman team very well and they are a strong team who work well together, with standout players like their two big strikers and their dynamic players in midfield, including Driss Fettouhi,” Milla commented. In terms of Al Jazira’s team selection, Luis Milla has the luxury of an almost-full squad to select from, with just long-term absentee Juma Abdulla missing following surgery, whilst Sami Rubaiya is a slight doubt.

On behalf of the players, UAE national team midfielder Sultan Barghash expressed his desire to win the second Etisalat Cup of his still-young career, saying: “We have prepared ourselves very well to have the best chance of winning the final, and we are listening fully to the coach and will follow his instructions on the pitch. We want to get the job done within the 90 minutes and we will do whatever it takes to win this title.” Luis Milla knows winning the Etisalat Cup title in his first few months in charge at the Club would go a long way in pleasing the Al Jazira faithful, and the Spanish coach hopes to give the fans something to celebrate. “We want to finish the season on a high, and we hope that the fans will enjoy the game and that we can give them the reward they wish for,” Milla said.