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Fawzi Bashir: “An historic opportunity for Ajman to win a title”
Ajman’s Fawzi Bashir expects a tough game as his side take on Al Jazira in the Etisalat Cup Final on Tuesday 14th May, and whilst he acknowledges Ajman are the underdogs due to their opponents’ greater wealth of experience in cup finals and winning titles, the Omani midfielder believes there is little separating the two sides technically, based on recent form, and in turn this gives Ajman greater motivation to prove themselves and exceed expectations in the one-off game. Speaking ahead of the game, Bashir said that he and his teammates are both technically and mentally prepared for the final and are hopeful of succeeding in claiming the title and writing the Club’s name in the history of the competition, noting that all players will do their utmost to seize any opportunities, particularly as it is not a regular occurrence for Ajman to be in touching distance of claiming silverware.
“Everyone involved with Ajman is part of a family at the Club; and all of us, from the President and Board of Directors through to the technical and administrative staff, the players, and the fans are pulling together to make the most of this opportunity. Everyone has been so supportive, attending our training sessions on a daily basis in preparation for such an important game, and I really hope that level of support from the fans will continue at the stadium throughout the game, as it will motivate and lift the spirits of the players even more,” Bashir said. Ajman’s last outing in the Etisalat Pro League ended in a 2-1 victory over Al Nasr, and Fawzi Bashir says the result served as perfect preparation for the Cup final, adding: “There are no secrets between the two teams, when it comes to us and Al Jazira, as we have met several times already this season. Both coaches are fully aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the opponents and will have planned accordingly, so the game is an open book and the result will depend largely on who deals best with the pressure and intensity of the 90 minutes on the pitch.” Highlighting the confidence with which Ajman enter the game, Bashir continued: “We have been showing outstanding levels of performance recently, especially in our last three League games, where we drew 3-3 with Bani Yas, beat Al Wahda 4-3, and then overcame Al Nasr with a 2-1 win. I hope the game is an entertaining one and shows the exceptional levels of performance achievable by both sets of players, as it will be a great advertisement for the development of UAE football in general. The game will be aired on television across the GCC and Arab countries, so we must do our best to show the high standard and quality of the football in this country.”