Al Ahli return to AGL business

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Al Ahli return to AGL business
Khalil of Al Ahli attempts to score a goal during AG League in Dubai on Saturday.

Dubai - Cosmin Olaroiu boys take on city rivals Al Shabab at the Maktoum bin Rashid Stadium on Thursday.

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Published: Thu 26 Nov 2015, 7:31 PM

Dubai's Al Ahli players will look to put the defeat of the 2015 AFC Champions League final against China's Guangzhou Evergrande behind them and return to business as the Red Knights eye top spot ahead of their postponed Arabian Gulf League clashes.
Cosmin Olaroiu boys take on city rivals Al Shabab at the Maktoum bin Rashid Stadium on Thursday. The match is set to kick off at 7.30pm.
Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and President of Al Ahli Club, attended the practice session of the Al Ahli team at Nad Al Sheba Complex on Monday and shook hands with the players before the training session.
"I would like to thank you for the strong fighting spirit and good effort which you have exerted during the ACL final," he told the players. "You have fought courageously and spared no effort to make history for the club and the UAE's football in the Asian arena. You must make use from everything you have encountered during the championship to build on in in the future," he added.
According to the official website of the Dubai-based club, Shaikh Hamdan has ordered Dh500,000 remuneration for each of the players who have led the team to the final of the AFC premier club competition.
Club chairman Abdulla Saeed Al Nabooda was also in attendance and looked confident that the players will have a fresh restart to the local competitions.
However, the match is equally important for Al Shabab after the Green Eagles slipped eighth position with 10 points from seven starts. And they will be well aware that motivated and well-tuned Al Ahli squad will be difficult to beat unless they put extra effort against the AFC Champions League runners-up.
Meanwhile, Al Ahli have been nominated for the AFC Club of the Year, Ahmed Khalil for Player of the Year and Roberto for Foreign Player of the Year.
On Friday, Emirates and Al Wahda kickoff the ninth round of the competition while Fujairah host Dibba and Al Wasl entertain Bani Yas in the late night encounters.
Emirates have got off the mark with a sweeping 3-0 away victory over hapless Sharjah and climbed up the ladder to settle fifth on goals difference behind Bani Yas as Abu Dhabi giants Al Wahda had suffered a painful 1-2 home defeat at the hands of promoted Fujairah.
In the second match, promoted Fujairah are looking forward to build on their exciting victory over the Maroons at the Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi to take a giant step forward to be in seventh position with 12 points from eight starts.
Finally, Al Wasl may find Bani Yas too hot after the sky blues fought back to hold the table's leaders to a 1-1 draw at the Shaikh Hamdan bin Zayed Stadium in Al Shamkha in the last match.


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