News Center

Four teams in do-or- die President's Cup semifinal matches

Four of the UFL Pro-League teams, Al Jazira, Al Wahda, Al Wasl and Al Shabab are set to battle it out and play do-or- die matches when they meet in the President's Cup Competition Semifinals on Sunday and Monday at 5.45pm, March 20 and 21st at Zayed Sports City to determine the two squads for the final encounter next month.

Al Wahda will take on Al Wasl tomorrow, March 20, in their last chance to save their season and keep their hopes alive to end up with a championship after they were eliminated from the Etisalat Cup Competition with a 1-3 defeat to Al Shabab in the semifinal game. Abu Dhabi-based side, holders of the Etisalat Pro-League, have also lost their chance to defend their league title as they are lying 17 points behind leaders Al Jazira. The team continued their training sessions after coming back home from Iran before two days following their 1-1 draw against Piroozi of Iran in the 2011 AFC Champions League. They will miss in tomorrow's game the efforts of their goalkeeper Motaz Abdullah who did not take part in their second continental tie in Iran due to injury. However, they will have back their two players Brazilian striker Fernando Bayno and defender Mahmoud Khamis who also were absent against Piroozi due to back pain and school exams respectively.

On the other hand Al Wasl moved to Abu Dhabi to start their warm-up camp after conducting their last training session today evening at their pitch in Dubai. Their player Mohammed Jamal will not take part in this game due to injury but at the same time Tariq Hussain will join their line up following a one-game suspension along with Waheed Ismail after recovering from injury. Al Wasl lost 2-3 to Al Ain in the Etisalat Cup's semifinal match played last week at Al Nahyan Stadium in Al Wahda Club in Abu Dhabi.

The other team, who are to play the President's Cup final game, will be decided on Monday, March 21 when Al Jazira meet Al Shabab at the same venue. Al Jazira, leaders of the Etisalat Pro-League Competition up to week 13, were humiliated with a 5-1 loss by Sepahan of Iran in their 2011 AFC Champions League second round game, a result which put them at the bottom of the table of their group "A". Both Argentinean player Delgado and his experienced teammate midfielder Abdu Al Salam Juma'a joined Al Jazira's training programme and they are likely to support their team in this game. But defender Abdullah Mousa and midfielder Ahmad Dada will miss the match. Abdullah was injured in the team's training of last Wednesday and Dada underwent a surgical operation after a recent face injury.

Al Shabab, the second side in Monday's encounter, have started a two-day warm-up camp tonight in Abu Dhabi following their today's training at their home ground. The team, who qualified recently to the Etisalat Cup final match, have started their march in the Cup GCC League and President Cup Competition after beating Al Salmiyah of Kuwait by a solitary goal. They will miss the efforts of their Brazilian player Cesar due to injury but will have back their two players Salim Abdullah and Abdullah Darweesh.