Shabab Al Ahli Dubai coach Mahdi Ali is hopeful his troops can win a battle of attrition against Al Wahda in the Arabian Gulf League.
Friday’s hosts at Zayed Sports City come into the match on the back of a draining midweek 3-2 loss to Qatar’s Al Duhail in the 2018 AFC Champions League. This competition has added to their commitments as challengers in the top flight and Arabian Gulf Cup – with both teams also set to meet in next month’s semi-finals.
“We hope to exploit the fatigue that our opponents will have accumulated as a result of the pressure matches in different tournaments,” said Ali, whose side sit a distant sixth
Meanwhile, Al Dhafra boss Gjoko Hadzievski has declared he wants to see proactive players take control of their destiny against Al Nasr.
The Western Knights won for the first time since September last-time out, versus Dibba Al Fujairah.
“The game against Al Nasr is so important to us,” said Hadzievski.
“The players must provide a strong reaction and not wait for the opponent’s reaction.”
Friday’s final game sees champions Al Jazira welcome lowly Hatta.
