Sparky’s Column

Point Proven

 

Actions speak louder than words, and Al Nasr's victory spoke volumes as they qualified for the group stages of the Champions League. Walter Zenga's men finished runners-up in the Pro League and at the time were guaranteed a berth in the group stages. However, the rule for automatic qualification was changed, leaving Al Nasr to play a qualifier against Lokomotiv Tashkent from Uzbekistan in order to book their place in the groups. It was not ideal for the team but like a lot of things in life you have no choice…the only advantage was that the game was a home draw, rather than a freezing trip to Tashkent. The somewhat balmier climes of Dubai paid off as "The Blue Wave" secured a 3-2 victory and, with it, Champions League football. Meanwhile Al Shabab faced an extremely tricky trip to Iran’s Sabaye Qom, which went down to a nerve jangling penalty shoot-out. The pressure proved too much for the home side as they slumped to defeat. Al Shabab and Al Nasr qualifying has proved a point for UAE football; the next stage for the four UAE sides in the groups is progressing beyond the last 16, which was the stumbling block for Bani Yas and Al Jazira last year. Al Ain are considered the nation’s best hope, but it's not beyond any team given a bit of momentum and importantly luck.

Aristide Bancé is a name little remembered in the UAE; he was at Al Ahli during the difficult David O'Leary period. The team struggled, the coach struggled and as a result Bancé struggled. The big striker was offloaded in the first transfer window - some thought never to be seen again - but as the saying goes, “you can't keep a good man down”. He has been the standout player for Burkino Faso in their outstanding African Cup of Nations performances, and his shadowy displays here in the UAE seem a dim and distant memory. 

Twitter is a great source information, opinion and debate on the Pro League. 

There are tons of people to follow and here are my top recommendations to follow for your daily fix of UAE football:

@Weeksie82 is Liam Weeks - Head of Performance Analysis at Al Ain. You will find some great insights into Prozone and tactics here, plus the inside information on Al Ain's day to day activities.

@Sport_360 offers match reports, opinion and debate on all things Pro League. Informative and always first.

@MurgersB is a football commentator and journalist. He also writes about UAE football for various outlets, including Reuters.  

And my final mention goes to the official Twitter account @UAEProleague - the go-to place for official information, results and even the odd quiz question thrown in as well