Another season of the Arabian Gulf League kicks off on Friday and the same question remains – can anyone stop Al Ahli or Al Ain from lifting the title? The bitter rivals have shared a stranglehold for the last five editions, with the Red Knights currently the club in possession after last term’s dominant success.
The arrival of Al Ain icon Asamoah Gyan on loan at the Dubai outfit following an underwhelming one-year spell at Shanghai SIPG has added spice to a loathsome conflict, which did not need heating up.
This signing – mired in mischief – has already caused ructions, a debut goal in last week’s 5-1 Arabian Gulf Cup thrashing against the side with which he scored a phenomenal 128 times during 123 matches from 2011-15 will do that.
Al Ain will point to their berth in the semi-finals of the 2016 AFC Champions League as a sign of superiority, but demure transfer business containing unproven Brazilian winger Caio and out-of-form UAE centre midfielder Amer Abdulrahman means the challenge may need to come from elsewhere.
A shoo-in to provide this was Al Nasr, for whom a 3-0 brutalisation of El Jaish during last month’s ACL quarter-final opener provided validation. This promise degenerated soon after amid a passport scandal involving new striker Wanderley.
AG Cup holders Al Wahda seem perfectly poised to push on from third spot. Winger Balazs Dzsudzsak arrived after starring for Hungary at Euro 2016, further boosting a productive supply line to 25-goal Golden Boot winner Sebastian Tagliabue which already contained Chile maverick Jorge Valdivia.
New coaches have provided fresh hope at two Dubai sides. Fred Rutten’s top-line experience gained at PSV Eindhoven and Schalke marks a sea-change in ambition from Al Shabab, while Boca Juniors legend Rodolfo Arruabarrena has reinvigorated an Al Wasl side who managed to retain Fabio De Lima.
As ever, the great imponderables are Al Jazira. The President’s Cup holders are yet to finalise their four-player foreign quota and were bedevilled by the usual defensive mishaps in Tuesday’s 2-1 Arabian Gulf Super Cup-loss to Ahli, but the improvement witnessed since miracle-working boss Henk ten Cate’s December arrival should continue.
In mid-table, Sharjah have been the story of the summer. A quartet of eye-catching raids on Saudi Arabian to land coach Giorgos Donis, centre-back Digao, playmaker Adrian Mierzejewski and striker Gelmin Rivas mean worries of the drop are over.
Al Dhafra boast a potential superstar in Syria forward Omar Khrbin, while Bani Yas will want boss Pablo Repetto to repeat the magic which took minnows Independiente del Valle to the 2016 Copa Libertadores final.
At the bottom, Hatta have made 14 signings as they prepare for a first top-flight stint in the professional era and fellow promoted side Ittihad Kalba dream of shedding their yo-yo reputation.
Both will hope the tumult at Dibba Al Fujairah and Emirates Club means at least one of them can stay up.
