Al Ahli's Dida feels like a new player

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  • Dida says his mentality has changed with his elevation to Al Ahli’s first-choice keeper.

    New Al Ahli number one Ahmed Dida has revealed the life-changing effect of the club’s historic run in the 2015 AFC Champions League.

    Dida, 26, has not looked back since resident firebrand Majed Nasser picked up a six-game ban because of an altercation with a photographer during the Group D defeat at Tractor Sazi on March 4.

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    Dida had previously spent much of his time on the bench since a January 2014 move from Al Wasl.

    But Nasser’s indiscretion opened the door for his back-up, who has become first choice in both the Arabian Gulf League and Asian competition as well as forcing a return to the UAE squad.

     “The most important thing is the experience and the confidence I now have,” Dida said after Saturday’s agonising 1-0 defeat to Guangzhou Evergrande in the second leg of the final.

    “Everyone knows, two years back, I was a bit… [talking about being a reserve]. This competition changed me a lot. It has given me confidence.

    “With the way I play, it has given me more. I look at the game better than I used to. I see it more clearly. It is something with my performance that it has grown and it is a good thing for me.”

    The 26-year-old joined the Red Knights as No2 to Saif Yousif with Nasser seriously injured, then dropped out of the reckoning when the latter returned to fitness for the 2014/15 campaign.

    Dida was excellent at the intimidating Tianhe Stadium, repelling an early low effort from eight-goal top scorer Ricardo Goulart, a fine header from China winger Zheng Long and could nothing about Elkeson’s inspired winner.

    His heroics were witnessed by an estimated 750-strong band of travelling Emirati supporters.

    For UAE left-back Walid Abbas, doing them proud was a minor consolation.

    The 30-year-old said: “It is good for us. We made them at least proud. That was the main important thing for us. Now, we have to do it again.

    “It was a very tough game for us. We should have scored in the first half, we had chances.

    “We are happy we reached the final. We have a good, young team and we can do it again.”

    Ahli have blown away their image as continental duds this year, dumping out rivals Al Ain, Iran’s Naft Tehran and Saudi Arabian giants Al Hilal with a 94th-minute semi-final goal. They had never previously progressed from the group stage in five attempts.

    Such progress makes Dida believe the squad has “changed the image” of the club.

    He said: “We did not win this and it gives us more motivation for the future. Inshallah, we can win again.

    “Nothing is impossible. Nobody expected us to be in the final.

    “We have changed the image and way people used to look at us.”

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