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Kalba v Al Ain Pre-Match Press Conferences

Kalba coach Ze Mario says his side are only interested in winning against Al Ain on Sunday, as any lesser result will be of no benefit to the team. Kalba, who currently occupy last place in the Etisalat Pro League with just 10 points, are in desperate need of points if they wish to avoid the drop, and Ze Mario is under no illusions of their plight. “We are suffering from many absences in our squad, but we’re trying to compensate by pushing our substitute and reserve players up to the first team and working hard with them. We’ve also been working to overcome the mental block of losing against Al Shaab in the last round,” the Brazilian said at his pre-match press conference. “We will do our best to take all three points from Al Ain, keeping in mind that Al Ain were at full strength when Dibba Fujairah beat them a few rounds ago, and that shows us the importance and power of fighting spirit and playing from the first minute until the final whistle,” he added.

Al Ain’s head coach Cosmin Olaroiu is determined that his side treat Kalba with the utmost respect, despite the chasm between the teams at opposite ends of the table. Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s game, Cosmin said: “Our focus is fully on the match against Kalba. If we compare the two teams on paper it is clear that Al Ain is the better side, therefore we must try to ensure this is the case on the pitch during the game and not only on paper. If we win this match it will relieve some pressure on my players for the next phase of the season as long as we keep our efforts and spirits high.” The Romanian added: “Kalba is a strong team despite their position in the League and they offer a real threat on the counter-attack. We must take them seriously and treat them with respect.”