Omar Abdulrahman absence is glaring for Zoran Mamic as Al Ain kick-off in Arab Club Champions Cup

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  • Al Ain boss Zoran Mamic.

    Al Ain’s 2018/19 commitments will kick-off on Tuesday amid the continuing absence of superstar playmaker Omar Abdulrahman when they battle Algeria’s ES Setif in the Arab Club Champions Cup’s first round.

    Abdulrahman, the 2016 AFC Player of the Year, is yet to concur on fresh terms for his expired contract and is not present in Zagreb, Croatia for pre-season training. Reports in Saudi Arabian media state he has agreed to a new contract, with the caveat that a mega-money season loan to Riyadh’s Al Hilal – the club of his youth – is agreed.

    This situation has placed a cloud over the Arabian Gulf League and President’s Cup winners, although coach Zoran Mamic was more perturbed about the scheduling of the opening leg (kick-off 20:00 on Abu Dhabi Sports HD) against the Ligue Professionnelle 1 holders at Zagreb, Croatia’s 5,000-capacity Igraliste Hitrec Kacian.

    He said: “The exact timing for the game is strange, actually. It is difficult to play a formal game in the middle of the preparation phase that precedes the start of the season.

    “In contrast, the opposing team (Setif) has played in the CAF Champions League during the past two weeks.”

    The former Dinamo Zagreb tactician estimated he will have up to 20 players missing for the deciding tie on August 4. This is because of injury, plus the UAE senior’s training camp in Austria and the Under-23’s run at the 2018 Asian Games.

    “During my 35 years spent in football at the top level, I have never heard about calling the international players from their clubs during the period of preparation for the season,” Mamic bemoaned. “It is not normal because that stage is most important to prepare the players for a long season.”

    Opposing coach Rachid Taoussi boasts intimate knowledge of Al Ain after serving as their sporting director from 2008-10.

    “I know the Al Ain team very well and it has a wonderful football academy,” the ex-Morocco boss said. “It always offers the national team the brightest stars.”

    The first-round commitments of fellow Emirati entrants Al Jazira and Al Wasl – against Saudi opponents Al Nassr and Al Ittihad – only wind up at the end of September.

    A total of 32 teams from 15 different nations, excluding Qatar, Yemen and Palestine, will take part in the opening stage.

    No UAE outfit has won the competition, that culminates on April 28, 2019 at Casablanca, Morocco’s 67,000-capacity Stade Mohammed V.

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