Al Dhafra must be aware relegated Ajman’s dismal top-flight performance will have no bearing on tonight’s President’s Cup quarter-final, according to boss Laurent Banide.
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The Orange Brigade’s four-year Arabian Gulf League stay ended this month, an awful campaign producing just 15 points.
Their immediate opponents were vitally one place and 11 points better off, the Frenchman’s winter arrival for a third spell at the Western Knights providing a steadying influence.
The two clubs meet again at Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan Stadium, Banide adamant the pair of 1-1 draws already registered this term will have no influence in a different competition that has already thrown up several shock results.
He said: “When we meet Ajman, we will not put in our calculations the games against Ajman from the Arabian Gulf League, because the games in the cup make no account.
“Already, Dubai Club took out Al Wahda and Ajman were able to skip past Al Jazira.”
Driss Fettouhi was the hero for Ajman in the round of 16, his last-minute free-kick securing a 3-2 victory at the Pride of Abu Dhabi. He urged his team-mates to seize the moment and secure a last-four spot.
“Cup matches are always difficult because you have only one chance to get the desired result,” the Moroccan midfielder told uaefa.ae.
“We have 90 minutes against Al Dhafra and we need to use it as required until we achieve our target, which is to reach the semi-finals according to the plan developed by our coach to fight each game step-by-step.”
