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Al Shabab v Al Ahli Pre-Match Press Conferences

Al Shabab host Al Ahli at 8:15pm on Thursday evening, in what is being dubbed the headline match of Round 17 of the Etisalat Pro League, and both coaches expressed their excitement about the fixture ahead of the game.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference held at the club, Al Shabab coach Marcos Paqueta anticipated a hotly contested match with strong rivalry between the two teams, as can be expected in any derby game in the world of football. “Our aim is to keep progressing up the League and secure a spot in the top four,” he explained. “In this game of two neighbours, whoever can keep calm and cool in front of goal will be the team to take home the three points.”

Commenting on the impact of absences from his squad, Al Shabab’s Brazilian coach claims both sides are on an equal playing field, with each team suffering from missing players for the match, and Paqueta believes his squad is strong enough to deal with the absences. However, he did make mention of a beneficial player Al Ahli will be glad to have back in their ranks for the game. “Grafite’s return will be a big bonus for Al Ahli, but my side hopes to put in a good enough performance to win the game regardless. We enter the game in very high spirits, particularly after a string of positive results on both local and regional fronts, and herein lies the difference between us and Al Ahli: we are competing in various different competitions whereas they are simply focused on the League.”

Opposing manager Quique Flores of Al Ahli also noted the return of his side’s top scorer Grafite to the fold following a spell on the sidelines through suspension. “He is a very important player for us, although we do not rely on just one player as there is fierce competition between our goalscorers Luis Antonio Jiminez, Ismaeel Al Hammadi, Ahmad Khalil and Ricardo Quaresma. He will have to prove himself to ensure his place in the starting line-up.” The Spaniard is looking forward to seeing a potent attacking force in action once Grafite and Quaresma join up in the side; “I’m excited to see Grafite playing alongside Quaresma on the pitch; having these two players in the team will not affect the game plan and I think they will gel together very well.”
Al Ahli will be without Abdulaziz Haikal, as the midfielder serves a suspension.