Football: Al Jazira aim to tighten grip

Dubai - Henk ten Cate's men have played sublime football to waltz to the top of the League table. And they now hold an eight-point cushion over Al Ahli, who seem increasingly likely of relinquishing their title as defending champions

Al Jazira could perhaps begin ordering the confetti and the glitter and put the celebration plans in motion.
The club, dubbed the 'Pride of Abu Dhabi,' are within sniffing distance of the Arabian Gulf League title, only their second in the top flight, after winning the first one six years ago.
Henk ten Cate's men have played sublime football to waltz to the top of the League table. And they now hold an eight-point cushion over Al Ahli, who seem increasingly likely of relinquishing their title as defending champions.
Al Jazira have garnered 56 points, while Al Ahli are on 48 points. Al Ain are two points behind Al Ahli on 46 points.
Al Jazira are at home at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium to eighth-placed Al Shabab and they enter the 23rd round knowing that a win will embolden their path to the title they first won in the 2010-11 season.
Only four rounds remain, including this one, and only Al Jazira can lose it from here. So, their destiny is in their own hands.
But Henk ten Cate, formerly an assistant coach with FC Barcelona and Chelsea, is trying to make sure there are no slip-ups.
"It is dangerous to play against these kind of teams, but we are mentally and physically prepared for the match and all the players are raring to go," Henk ten Cate said at his pre-match press briefing.
"We are ready to fight and give our best to win and come closer to a long-awaited triumph," added the Dutchman.
Henk ten Cate, who also coached Ajax, was also pleased with how the season has panned out. "At the start, no one expected us to be here. Our ambition was to finish in a top position, but game after game, our ambitions grew bigger and we started dreaming of the title," he said.
Al Jazira will be without the services of their South Korean midfielder Park Jong-woo, who is serving a suspension.
Meanwhile, Al Shabab coach Miroslav Djukic, who replaced Fred Rutten in January, is grappling with suspensions and injuries to his foreign recruits.
Azizbek Haydarov and Tomas de Vicente are serving suspensions, while Henrique Luvannor and Nana Poku are out injured.
Meanwhile, Al Ahli, who defeated Saudi Arabia's Al Taawoun in the AFC Champions League, earlier in the week, are on the road to face Al Wahda at the Al Nahyan Stadium on Saturday evening.
Al Wasl then host Al Ain at the Zabeel Stadium, later on the same night.
james@khaleejtimes.com