Al Ahli head coach Cosmin Olaroiu says he will talk with new signing Moussa Sow before deciding whether to give the Senegal striker his debut in the Arabian Gulf Cup against Al Shaab.
The 29-year-old striker was signed by the Red Knights last month in a record-breaking deal for the AGL that saw the former Fenerbahce man arrive for €17 million (Dh70.6m) – a deal which eclipsed the money spent on Ricardo Oliveira by Al Jazira in 2009.
Olaroiu believes giving Sow his debut in tonight’s second AG Cup fixture will help him integrate with his new team-mates, as well as give him an opportunity to acclimitise to the stifling UAE heat.
“For his participation in the game, I will talk with the player to determine the readiness of mind to participate in the game,” said the Romanian.
“Both sides wish to participate because this will help him to adapt to the hot weather and also give him the opportunity to harmonise with his colleagues.”
On paper Ahli face a straightforward enough encounter against Shaab, who have suffered back-to-back 2-0 defeats against Bani Yas and Al Wasl in their opening AGL and AG Cup fixtures since winning promotion. Olaroiu, however, is wary of Tarek El Ashri’s men.
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“Despite the loss of two games the team gave an excellent standard, specifically on the offensive level, so we go into the meeting very seriously in order to achieve victory,” said the 46-year-old.
In the other rearranged Cup games Emirates Club host Al Dhafra while Al Wahda travel to Dibba Al Fujairah in the two early fixtures.
Dhafra coach Laurent Banide, meanwhile, is facing a mini crisis as the Western Knights travel to take on the Falcons minus a clutch of important players.
