Al Ahli assistant coach Catalin Raducan blasted his players after a low-key 1-1 draw with Al Shabab in the UAE League Cup.
Save for the last 10 minutes, a dead rubber tie lived up to its billing with a dull first half with the game generally played at a pedestrian pace.
With both teams fielding significantly weakened teams, Omar Ali gave Al Shabab the lead just after half time before Ciel salvaged a draw with a superb left-footed effort from outside the box.
Despite the slow nature of the game, tensions flared at the end after Abdulla Eissa felt he was elbowed in the chest by Adnan Al Beloshi. Eissa had to be restrained by his team-mates even after the final whistle.
At least Shabab had some fire in their belly. According to Raducan, Al Ahli sorely lacked the fight expected of such a prominent team.
“We are not very happy with what happened on the field,” said the Romanian. “We expected more from this game. I don’t think we deserved to win this game today. We must learn our lesson and now look to a very difficult period.
“I can understand it is difficult to motivate the players after a game against Al Hilal in the AFC Champions League in front of 45,00 people but when you give players who don’t get a chance to play very often a game, you expect them to be motivated.
“Pulling on the shirt should bring enough motivation. We are not unhappy at mistakes, we are angry about the lack of spirit, fight, it’s not the result.
“This Al Ahli and when you put on the shirt you have only one option; to win the game and to give 100 percent. I don’t know about the other teams but here you play to win.”
Al Ahli will play away at Sharjah in the semi-final after finishing second in Group B while Al Shabab were eliminated from the competition before the game.
A distinctly flat first half was at least appeased by an early second half goal. A corner from Abdulla Marzouq looped to the back post where Ali climbed to send the ball over Dida in the Al Ahli goal.
The chances dried up again with Shabab in control of game where they boasted no foreign players while the hosts were able to blood Hugo Viana, Luis Jimenez, Ciel and Grafite, although the latter two replace the former two at half time.
With the clock into injury time, Shabab let their guard drop allowing Ciel too much space in midfield coming off the wing. The Brazilian sauntered 30 yards from goal before cracking the ball past a helpless Hassan Hamza.
SEMI-FINAL LINE-UP
Sharjah v Al Ahli
Al Dhafra v Al Jazira
(Note: Semi-finals take place on March 15)
