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Al Jazira host Maradona's guys; Al Ain and Al Wahda in tough clasico

 

The UAE Pro-League Football Teams are set to battle it out when they play on Thursday and Friday September 15th and 16th their first round match in the Etisalat Competition of the season 2011/2012. All 12 teams have completed their preparations successfully after organizing local and external warm up camps and playing a number of friendly games. Some teams have introduced some changes at the level of their coaches and professional players and even signed new UAE players according to their need to occupy some weak positions in the team's line up.

Al Shabab and Bani Yas will start their campaign when they meet tomorrow at Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium in Dubai, kick off at 5:40pm. The home team will be led by their French newly signed star Trezeguet along with Senegalian Sengahoor, top scorer of the last season league competition. But they will miss the efforts of some stars namely Amer Abdul Rahman, Ahmad Ali, Mohammad Fawzi and Diyab Awana whereas the visiting team will play without Ahmad Mahmoud and Mohammad  Ahmad as all six players are currently on National duties with the Olympic National Team. Bani Yas are yet to organize an external warm-up camp in Spain due to commence on September 24th while their opponents were satisfied with a short training camp held in Ras Al Khaimah.

Ajman, who qualified this season from the First Division League, will face Al Ahli in the same day at their home pitch at 5:40pm. They signed three new pros. Ibrahima Toure from Ivory Coast, Olive from Senegal and are still looking for an Asian player. The hosts have organized an external camp in Turkey last July. The match will not be easy for the home team as their rivals have completed a successful training camp in Austria, Czech and Australia and will be led by four new professionals who are playing in the UAE League for the first time and want to prove their technical and physical abilities. Al Ahli will play without Ahmad Khalil, Saad Suroor, Majid Hassan and Abdul Aziz Haikal who are in National duties whilst Ajman will appear in full team.

The First day of the opening round will be concluded with a tough encounter when Al Wasl traveled this evening to the capital Abu Dhabi after training at home to face Al Jazira at Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium at 5:40pm. It is the first official game for the Argentinean legend Diego Maradona with Dubai-based Al Wasl who are intending to come out in the upcoming this with shining and brilliant display and positive results. The team have signed three new players and only retained their former Omani pro. Mohammed Al Shaiba. Both teams have some key players with the Olympic Team who will be absent tomorrow.

The first round will be completed on Friday with three games when Emirates and Dubai meet in the first match at Emirate Club Stadium at 5:40pm. Dubai were prepared locally while their hosts are still camping in Tunisia and due to be back home on September 24th and for this reason they are expected to face the visiting team with their reserve line up. 

Sharjah will host Al Nasr in the second game of the day at their home ground and Al Ain will tackle it out against their traditional rivals Al Wahda in the last game of this week on Friday at Rashid Stadium in Al Ahli Club at 8:30pm.as Al Ain were punished by the Competitions Committee by the end of the last season to play two matches at an outside pitch for fans bad conduct. Al Ain have signed five local players namely : Hilal Saeed (Al Jazira) who played earlier for Al Ain, Mohammad Malalla (Kalba), Mohammad Nasr (Al Shabab), Mohammad Salem (Al Dhafra) and goalkeeper Obaid Al Taweela (Al Ahli) along with Skoko from Argentina, Romanian Radoi, Yasir Al Gahtani from Saudi Arabia and Asamoah Gyan from Ghana who will not play due to a minor injury.