Bani Yas confidence high ahead of Nasr clash

Matt Jones - Editor 00:26 09/10/2016
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  • Pablo Repetto.

    The Sky Blues are winless after five matches in all competitions but earned a gritty point in a 0-0 draw at Arabian Gulf League champions Al Ahli on Wednesday.

    It was their first point in the Arabian Gulf Cup and they still prop up the Group B table, but Repetto hopes the confidence gleaned from that draw can be reflected in the result against Al Nasr Monday.

    “We entered the Ahli match to get the full points but with this performance we feel happy and satisfied because we know we have a strong team who can make great results,” said the Uruguayan.

    “It was a great performance against Al Ahli and we hope it will be reflected in the Al Nasr match which will give the players motivation to get the three points as now they have confidence.”

    Al Nasr counterpart Ivan Jovanovic has led his side to three wins from five games so far this season and they sit fourth in the Group B table with six points.

    The Blue Wave, however, were beaten 2-1 last time out by Al Shabab, but know victory will take them joint top of the table for now.

    “It’s another important match against a powerful adversary, a Bani Yas team that succeeded in achieving a draw with Al Ahli in the last round, and if we were looking to climb to the next round we must win and get three points,” said Serbian Jovanovic, who is targeting three wins from Nasr’s three remaining games against Bani Yas, Dibba Al Fujairah and Ittihad Kalba.

    Midfielder Tariq Ahmed and striker Salem Saleh are away with the UAE national team and Ivanovic insists it is a chance for others to step up.

    He said: “We suffer from many absences in different fronts, and when that happens it is difficult to compensate for absences, but at the same time, the absence of key players gives an opportunity to the players on the bench to show their physical and technical ability.”

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