Al Ahli star Ahmed Khalil insists Moussa Sow’s red-hot recent form is no surprise as he always knew the record buy would come good.
Sow, 30, completed a €17 million (Dh81m) switch from Turkish giants Fenerbahce in September.
Great things were expected straight away at the Arabian Gulf League title chasers, but his first 14 appearances saw just two goals scored. Saturday’s late winner at Sharjah took him onto an incredible 10 strikes in his last eight matches and Khalil was full of praise for the Senegal forward’s upturn.
“Before, I have spoken and said about Moussa Sow – we had to wait to see the best Moussa Sow,” said the 2015 AFC Asian Player of the Year. “He was new, we had to stay with him and we had to speak with him.
“This is because Moussa Sow is a good player, people had to give him more respect. Hamdullah (thank God in Arabic), he will continue. We now have Moussa Sow, Everton Ribeiro and Ciel. They are all very good players and we have to continue with them.”
The Red Knights are locked in a tight battle with leaders Al Ain to lift the top-flight crown, both scoring late deciders at the weekend.
Just two points separate them in the table after Ahli ground out a tight victory at Sharjah on Saturday. Sow saved the day for them, nodding in a Ciel cross during injury time soon after strong shouts for a penalty were waved away when full-back Abdulaziz Sanqour was felled in the area by Abdulla Ahmed.
“Sharjah are a good team and we played until the last minute,” Khalil said. “This is football – sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
“We have to focus and we have to take the points in the next game. After that, we move onto the next game and take what we want.”
The performance of referee Ammar Al Juneibi at the weekend incensed Ahli. Boss Cosmin Olaroiu was sent to the stands – for which he was fined Dh2,000 yesterday by the UAE Football Association – early in the second half for dissent, while team supervisor Abdulmajeed Hussein later hinted at a conspiracy against the club.
For Khalil, he just wanted to concentrate on Friday’s test against fifth-placed Al Wahda when quizzed about the official’s display.
He said: “For me, I don’t talk about referees. I focus on the team and focus on helping the team.
“We have to continue and focus on our next step.”
