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Etisalat Cup Semi-Final: Al Shabab v Ajman Pre-Match Press Conferences

Al Shabab head coach Marcos Paqueta says that his side’s fifth competitive meeting of the season with Ajman will be very different from the previous games, due to the nature of the Etisalat Cup semi-final tie. Kicking off at 5:45pm on Monday at the Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium, the two sides will be familiar with one another, but nothing can account for the one-off atmosphere of a Cup semi-final. Speaking at his pre-match press conference, the Brazilian said; “As it is a knockout game, the match will be decisive, so this adds extra nerves and tension for the players. It will be a physical and hotly contested game and whichever team can keep their composure and concentration will be most likely to progress to the final.”

Paqueta seeks to make the most of the home advantage, stating that playing at their own stadium and in front of their fans can give Al Shabab an edge in the game, and also hopes that victory can be wrapped up in normal time so as to prevent any extra exhaustion for his players, who are competing in the AFC Champions League competition as well. As the teams know each other well from four previous competitive meetings and one friendly match, Paqueta noted that the remaining preparation for the match focuses more on the mental side than physical, as this is a key ingredient in a Cup game. “I don’t have any absences through injury from my squad,” the Brazilian confirmed, “but I have not yet settled on my starting lineup, pending our final day of training before the game, and I will wait to see whether Haydarov Azizbek will return from international duty, after playing 90 minutes for Uzbekistan against the UAE, or if he will stay with the national team.”

Abdulwahab Abdulkadir, head coach of Ajman, admits that Al Shabab are the favourites as the home team, but is still confident that his side has what it takes to cause a Cup upset to make it to the final. “I have a full squad to choose from, with the exception of goalkeeper Yousif Zaabi and Sameer Ibrahim due to injury, but I have full faith in the players and my substitutes who are able to compensate for any absences,” the Iraqi manager said in his pre-match press conference. Identifying focus as the key to success in any match of such a critical nature, Abdulkadir stated that both sides have many players amongst their ranks who are capable of changing the game.