Sparky’s Column

A Big Week for the Little Guys

 

It's always interesting to see how the rest of the world perceives the UAE. It seems to be somewhere between an oil laden paradise and some kind of Bedouin existence. The Scottish Sun's headline screamed "Fan wins 180,000 pound Farrari for scoring penalty." Straight away the focus is away from the game itself, its all about fueling the fantasy that oil rich states are throwing cash around like there's no tomorrow. The article actually relates to Roy Aitken's role as Sporting Director at Al Ahli and the so called duel with Maradona. If you read two thirds of the way down the page you will actually find references to the strides being made in the game here and some of the work the Pro League is doing to market the league. The rest of the article is full of tired cliches about oil, cash and yet more cash. One day someone may actually scratch the surface to give a true reflection of football in the UAE.  

 

The game mentioned in the article was the match of the round in the Presidents Cup. A 4-O win for Maradona's men brought a smile to the diminutive Argentinian's face after the last few weeks of turmoil. It does beg the question of where next for Ahli coach Flores, he seems to be left scratching his head wondering how to turn things around at the troubled club. Asamoah Gyan netted a brace as Al Ain won 4-2, the Ghanian is warming to life in the UAE and showing he is the goal machine everyone expected. 

 

The Cup is a chance for some of the minows to shine, Emirates winning the silverware in a relegation season proved that two years ago. There is nothing better than seeing an underdog thrive and take one or two big scalps along the way. Kalba who were relegated last season are the only lower league team left in the competition and I am sure they will fancy their chances against Sharjah in the next round.