Al Ain will only get better after going top of the Arabian Gulf League, according to buoyant coach Zlatko Dalic.
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The Boss hit the front on Saturday night for the first time this season after securing a 3-0 victory against Fujairah. This saw them finally fulfil the second and final outstanding fixture accrued during their run to the 2014 AFC Champions League semi-finals.
Victory sent the Boss three points clear of long-term leaders Al Jazira ahead of Sunday’s pivotal clash at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.
The Fujairah triumph contained a number of further positives for Al Ain.
Striker Asamoah Gyan struck a brace as he showed signs of shaking off the lethargy that has afflicted him since Ghana’s run to the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations final.
There was also further attacking inspiration from Omar Abdulrahman, who sparked an improved showing after the break when introduced as a substitute following three weeks out injured and a two-game winless streak was brought to an end.
Dalic’s only worry was the short gap before Tuesday’s ACL Group B trip to Iran’s Naft Tehran.
“The players gave a remarkable performance that helped them to win after they imposed their personality on the opposing team,” the Croatian said.
“I was aware of the difficulty of the match against Fujairah, but the players have succeeded in achieving a well-deserved win after they took control of the game.
“The players came out of the game with several gains. They have regained a winning situation after the previous loss against Fujairah and draw against Al Shabab [Riyadh in the ACL], Asamoah Gyan returned to scoring with two goals and on top of that, Omar Abdulrahman returned.
“Going to the top of the league will not put any pressure on the players, but on the contrary will boost their self-confidence and increase morale. However, we do not have enough time to prepare this team to face Naft Tehran in Champions League.”
The joy for Dalic was, understandably, not shared by opposite number Ivan Hasek. The ex-Al Ahli boss had guided his side to a 1-0 victory a week prior in the eastern emirate, ex-Boss frontman Boubacar Sanogo striking.
Despite being frustrated by Saturday’s result, Hasek retained a sense of perspective after the previous result.
He said: “We played to a good technical level in the first half and it was good performance. We came back in the second half and we were on course for a draw, but the conceding of the second goal caused a bit of frustration and confusion in the ranks of the players that led to a decline in the level of performance.
“We aspire to provide the best level and it was necessary to be more dangerous when the ball was in our possession, but we were not successful despite the fact that the players gave all they had. I’m not satisfied with my team’s performance in this confrontation, but I am satisfied coming away from consecutive games against Al Ain with three important points.
“We’re now embarking on an important match against Al Ahli and we will try to prepare well. We analyse the team’s performance in the match against Al Ain to rectify the errors.”
