Al Ahli must make a rapid shift in focus from their AFC Champions League campaign to their upcoming Arabian Gulf League Cup final against Al Jazira on Saturday, and star striker Grafite admits it will be a challenging task.
The Red Knights could have sealed their qualification to the last 16 in the Champions League on Tuesday night, but instead were held to a goalless draw by Al Hilal.
Grafite says the players are tired from the overcrowded schedule and that their greatest challenge at the moment is mentally regrouping between matches.
“We should be able to switch our mentality between the different games even if it’s not too easy. I don’t know how we’ll do this but we should,” Grafite told Sport360°.
“Some players are feeling tired at this moment. But you need to have separation, you need to work more, because in three days you have the Cup final against Al Jazira and then after that you have the game against Al Sadd, which will almost be like another final.
“Even Al Jazira are playing in the Champions League on Wednesday in Qatar. The (Cup) final is just one game, you can have a good day, or a bad day, it depends on the situation. We did well until now, we have the chance to win the final and we’re going to Al Ain looking to make agood game. And Insha’Allah, we’ll win the game and come back with the Cup.”
Ahli have gathered just three points from three home games in the Asian competition and Grafite concedes that their form in the Rashid Stadium hasn’t been up to par.
He noted that Luis Jimenez’s absence in the last couple of weeks has also been difficult on the team.
“Three home games now we’ve drawn (in the AFC Champions League). A draw against Sadd, against Sepahan, and now against Hilal. I think we haven’t been goodin our home games in this Champions League, but we’re still in front in the group.
"We have a chance. We have one game left in Qatar against Sadd and we’re going to try our best there. If we make one point there we’re already through to the next round,” said the Brazilian.
Meanwhile, Ahli midfielder Adnan Hussain said the team received a clear message from club chairman Abdullah Saeed Al Naboodah, and that was to “forget about the match against Hilal immediately, and focus on going to Al Ain and bringing the Cup home.”
