Tonight in Al Ain, more than just the 2015 President’s Cup winner will emerge.
For Al Ahli and their playmaker Everton Ribeiro, the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium will provide the perfect stage to show against Al Nasr that they will be UAE football’s outstanding combination next term.
Ribeiro, 26, has been steadily coming to the boil since his winter move from Cruzeiro. With him, the Red Knights have rebounded from a dreadful Arabian Gulf League defence – storming towards a record ninth President’s Cup and the latter stages of the AFC Champions League.
The Brazil international was instrumental in the brutal display last time they travelled to Al Ain, setting a fearsome tempo and cutting gaping holes as a 3-3 second-leg draw saw club-first progression to the quarter finals of the continent’s premier club tournament.
This was value for money on a giant four-year contract, reportedly worth between ¤4.5-5 million (Dh25.4-28.2m) per annum. It was not out of the blue, but neither do you feel this was Ribeiro at his best.
Much was expected of a man who will don the fabled yellow of Brazil in this summer’s Copa America, someone previously linked to Manchester United.
But his fitness levels took time to rise, inconsistent Ahmed Khalil was not always the most deadly forward to play into and Ahli were about to lurch to a seventh-placed AGL finish.
He took 13 minutes to score on debut against Sharjah, then only one more came in his next 11 games.
Ahli and Ribeiro have since carried each other on the crest of a wave during an outstanding May.
Major silverware and continental competition when combined with the usual deep transfer budget should attract the top striker needed to make Ribeiro shine brightest.
Ahli swept all in front of them in coach Cosmin Olaroiu’s dream 2013/14 debut. A victory this evening will make rivals Al Ain and Al Jazira fear what is to come.
