News Center

Sultan Barghash: “Winning the Etisalat Cup would save our season”

Al Jazira midfielder Sultan Barghash has cited the Etisalat Cup Final against Ajman as a lifeline for the Abu Dhabi club to make a success of their season by winning some silverware. Al Jazira have endured a disappointing campaign by their standards, slipping to fourth in the Etisalat Pro League and crashing out of the AFC Champions League and President’s Cup, but the Etisalat Cup Final against Ajman on Tuesday 14th May (kick-off 7:40pm) at Al Wasl’s Zabeel Stadium offers the opportunity of salvaging something to celebrate. Speaking ahead of the upcoming Final, the UAE international said: “For the players it is our duty to perform to our best abilities, as this is our last chance to win a tournament this year and save our season. We still want to fulfill our ambitions of winning some silverware after we have fallen behind in the Etisalat Pro League, didn’t make it out of the group stage of the AFC Champions League, and went out of the President’s Cup at the hands of Al Wahda, so we must seize our final chance.”

24-year-old Barghash has full faith that he and his teammates have what it takes to lift the Cup, and hopes for a repeat of the outcome when Al Jazira and Ajman met in the 2009-2010 Etisalat Cup Final. “I trust and believe in the abilities of all players at Al Jazira, and of course I wish to play a key part in the game. We know what we need to do as a team to win this title,” Barghash said. Having tasted victory in the tournament once before, Barghash is keen for more: “It’s the second time we face Ajman in the Etisalat Cup Final – last time we met in the 2009-2010 season at the Al Maktoum Stadium when won 2-0, and I scored a late penalty. Of course I will try to score against Ajman again this time,” added the midfield dynamo. Barghash, however, is well aware of the threat the Ajman squad possesses in attack and highlighted the Ivorian striker Boris Kabi, Malian forward Founeke Sy and Moroccan attacker Driss Fettouhi as particular dangers on the opposing side.

Barghash appears to be highly rated by Al Jazira’s new Spanish coach Luis Milla, and the industrious Emirati midfielder has featured prominently in the manager’s plans since taking over at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in February. “Luis Milla is a good coach, and perhaps he has needed some time to adapt to the team and football here in the UAE, but he knows exactly what he wants from our game and I believe that Al Jazira will be a strong contender in all competitions under him next season,” stated Barghash. With one Etisalat Cup championship already to his name, alongside a President’s Cup win and an Etisalat Pro League title in 2010-2011, Sultan Barghash will hope to add to the collection in his trophy cabinet come Tuesday 14th May.