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Wahda eye semifinal spot

ABU DHABI - Al Wahda coach Josef Hickersberger strives for perfection and though there was a sigh of relief that his team crossed the first hurdle at the FIFA Club World Cup, he was not happy with the start to the game.

Four-time UAE Pro-League champions Al Wahda swamped Oceania champions Hekari United 3-0 at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on Wednesday night to make it to the quarterfinals of the seven-team showpiece. Expectations were high on Al Wahda after Al Ahli had a poor showing last year.

“My first impression was not a good one. The players were nervous and they could feel the pressure of winning and doing better than Al Ahli. I could feel that they could not cope with pressure. Hekari United created problems for us with their style of football. We too changed our style of play. We lost a bit in the beginning but we have really experienced players like Fernando Baiano and Hugo upfront. It was a good result in the end, for us but our start was not a good one,” Hickersberger said.

Hickersberger, though was pleased with midfielders Fahed Masoud and Abdulraheem Jumaa, who came on as a substitute. While Masoud marshalled the midfield, Jumaa came on and scored the third goal.

“Fahed Masoud and Abdulraheem Jumaa have shown how we can use their experience. Fahed gave a good pass to Baiano and that was a good assist. And Abdulraheem Jumaa scored the third goal for us. We know the quality of these players. They are not just star players but good characters as well. It was a special moment for them,” he said.

Hickersberger is now dreaming of a semifinal showdown against Inter Milan but before that, they need to get past Asian champions Seongnam Ilhwa of Korea Republic.

“The first match in a competition is always difficult no matter who the opposition is. I’m sure the players will be a bit nervous in the second game too but not like the first one. We are playing a much stronger team in the second game. We have a lot of respect for them and we have to play much better than what we did on Wednesday. It would be something really special if we win that and meet Inter Milan in the semifinal,” said Hickersberger.

Amidst the euphoria surrounding the win, Hickersberger cautioned that it was still a long road ahead. “It is a big task ahead and it starts right now. I told the players to go to the hotel, eat and sleep and be up for training the next day. Recovery is very important. We have to study Seongnam Ilhwa. We have some information about them, their strengths and weaknesses. And we will show this material to the players,” he said.

About the training camp in Egypt prior to the Club World Cup, Hickersberger said: “The camp in Egypt, I have to admit, we missed a few players. We had six players missing from the camp. Four of our players were with the Olympic team, while one of the players had a wedding, while another had exams. So, it made no sense in having tactical training with six players missing from the squad. Also, we played a second string Ismaily. Our last warm-up game was against Saudi Arabia’s Al Shabab and that was a good test for us. I was not happy with the preparations as we didn’t have our whole squad. But I want to thank the UAE Football Association president Mohammed Khalfan Al Rumaithi for making sure our players were not picked for the Gulf Cup and giving us the chance to prepare.”

james@khaleejtimes.com