Nobody takes points from Al Jazira at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, says Al Jazira coach

Henk ten Cate said his boys had a bad day in office against Al Wahda in President's Cup

Al Jazira, still nursing from the pounding they got at the hand of Al Wahda in President's Cup quarterfinals, are determined to prove their detractors wrong when they take on Al Ahli in the Arabian Gulf Cup semifinals at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on Monday.
Al Jazira coach Henk ten Cate said his boys had a bad day in office against Al Wahda but had regrouped for the Dubai 'Knights' encounter. "The preparations have been a little different than normal," the coach said in reference to the Wednesday's 6-0 drubbing. "The team regrouped on Friday. We had to set things straight."
The Dutchman said injured midfielder Khalfan Mubarak will be out for 'two more weeks' and Moroccan midfielder Mbark Boussoufa will be 'away' for the Africa Cup of Nations. "We have to deal (with Al Ahli) without them but we are not looking for excuses. We played a very bad game and lost the battle but we didn't lose the war."
Regarding Al Ahli match, he said: "We play at home and so far nobody took points from us here. We want to keep it that way. Al Ahli are a fantastic team with a very smart and experienced coach. They exactly know what they have to do against us but we also know what we have to do. It's going to be a very interesting and good game."
Al Jazira, on their part, remain the only team to be unbeaten in the Cup tournament.
Al Jazira defender Fares Jumaa said the loss against Al Wahda wasn't 'end of the world'.
"Despite the defeat, the spirit in the team is good. We were down after the match but are ready now," Jumaa said. "We will give our best and will be different against Al Ahli. We had a bad game against Al Wahda but that defeat isn't end of the world. We are still in with a chance to win the League and the Cup. We want to prove our fighting spirit to ourselves and not to anyone else. We won't allow any points being taken on our home turf."
Meanwhile, Al Ahli coach Cosmin Olaroiu said his team was ready for the big clash. He, however, was worried about the bookings slapped on Salmin Khamis (yellow) and keeper Majed Naser (red) during their League match against Al Ain on December 31.
Striker Makhete Diop who moved from Al Dhafra to Al Ahli said he had always dreamt of playing in the ranks of one of the big names.
"My dream has come true after I joined a big team like Al Ahli."
On the semifinal, he said: "The game is going to be definitely tough. Both teams will be entering the match with aspiration to win and qualify for the final."
In the second semis, it will be Al Shabab against Al Wasl at the Maktoum Al Maktoum Stadium.
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com