Al Ain FC stars have spoken for the first time about their pride in playing at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium against Manchester City in what is one of the most hotly anticipated games in the Emirates in years.
The showpiece event takes place at the brand new, state-of-the-art Hazza Bin Zayed stadium in the heart of Al Ain on Thursday 15th May at 7:30pm.
For the players of Al Ain it is a great opportunity to play in front of a packed crowd in their brand new home and to show the pride they have in the stadium and in their club.
Midfield star Omar Abdulrahman, who trialled at the Etihad Stadium in 2012, said: “Manchester City is a great football team and we are very proud to be hosting them at the Hazza Bin Zayed stadium. The stadium should be full and that will give it an amazing atmosphere.
“We will prepare ourselves properly for the match because it is a match we hope to win. We want to win all matches at the Hazza Bin Zayed stadium.”
Defender Fawzi Fayez said: “Playing in the Hazza Bin Zayed stadium for Al Ain is a great honour and we are proud to be playing a big team like Manchester City here.
"They could be Premier League Champions when they come here and we hope to play a great game of football.”
The match will be held just two days after the second leg of Al Ain's crucial Champions League semi-final against Al Jazira and only 72 hours before their President's Cup final against arch rivals Al Ahli.
Man City, meanwhile, play their final game of the Premier League season on May 11 with their players looking to treat tthe trip as a playing holiday before they head to the World Cup.
“We have still got games in the Champions League to worry about first but it’s in the back of everyone’s mind because we are all very excited to play against a team like that in a stadium like this,” added Australian striker Alex Brosque.
“This stadium is fantastic. It is the best stadium I have played in. It’s perfect for football and for the fans that come out. For the players, it’s a joy to play here every week.
“Manchester City is one of the best teams in the world and to play against some of the players that will play in the world cup this year is really great. Coming up against players we get to watch every week in the Premier League is probably the most exciting thing about playing them.”
