Al Jazira coach Henk ten Cate insists he has “absolute confidence” that Wednesday’s President’s Cup quarter-final will not complete an unwanted hat-trick of defeats to capital rivals Al Wahda.
The Pride of Abu Dhabi have not lived up to their nickname this term. A pair of meetings in January saw a 4-2 home loss incurred by the holders in the Arabian Gulf League, plus a 2-0 reversal in the Arabian Gulf Super Cup.
The 2015/16 President’s Cup winners are determined to halt this run at Bani Yas Stadium.
“The morale is very high among us all, and we will not be content to lose three times [to Wahda] in a single season,” said ex-Barcelona and Chelsea assistant Ten Cate of the meeting with last season’s champions.
“I have absolute confidence in the players’ ability to live up to this great challenge and we are determined to show the true character of Al Jazira in the President’s Cup.
“We have lost to Al Wahda because of different circumstances and because of some individual mistakes in the Arabian Gulf Super Cup match, but the situation will be very different.
“This is because each game is different from the previous, and because we are determined this time to win and qualify for the next round.”
Meanwhile, boss Rodolfo Arruabarrena is not getting carried away after Al Wasl corrected their abrupt slide at the weekend.
The Cheetahs beat Ajman 2-0 in the top flight to claim just a second victory from 11 games in all competitions. They next face minnows Dibba Al Fujairah at Emirates Club Stadium in the President’s Cup quarter-finals.
Arruabarrena said: “After the return of the injured players, we performed well and we won the last game in the league at Ajman.
“But overall, I care about the results we have achieved throughout the season in all the competitions we have participated in.”
