Matchweek 2 of the Arabian Gulf League concludes on Friday, as Khorfakkan host Al Nasr, Al Jazira play with Al Dhafra, Ajman face Ittihad Kalba and Shabab Al Ahli clash with Al Ain.
The action starts at 6:15pm when Khorfakkan host Al Nasr at Saqr Bin Mohammad Al Qassimi Stadium. After their impressive 4-2 win over Al Ain in the Arabian Gulf Cup, Khorfakkan fell to a 2-0 defeat to the Boss in the league.
On the other hand, Al Nasr played out a 1-1 draw with Al Jazira in the most anticipated game of the opening matchweek.
Khorfakkan coach Caio Zanardi stressed that Al Nasr's game represents a tough test for his side. He explained, "we are ready for the game and we will fight to collect the three points."
Meanwhile, Al Nasr coach Krunoslav Jurčić praised opponents Khorfakkan saying they are an "organized" team. He added, "we understand the importance of the game but we are ready and keen to get the full points."
At the same time, Al Jazira will be playing against Al Dhafra at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium. While Al Jazira dropped two points in the opening matchweek, Al Dhafra had an impressive start to the season with a 4-1 win over Ajman.
Al Dhafra are expected to face an uphill task, as they never had a clean sheet in their Arabian Gulf League encounters with Al Jazira, and conceded 44 goals in 20 matches.
Al Jazira coach Marcel Keizer said it will be a tough game, especially when reviewing Al Dhafra's most recent performances. He added, "we will do our best to collect the three points against Al Dhafra."
Meanwhile, Al Dhafra's Aleksandar Veselinović said his side prepared well for the game. He added, "we have a great team that includes a number of excellent players."
Ajman, who fell to a 4-1 defeat to Al Dhafra in the opening week, will be looking to make things right when they host Ittihad Kalba at 9pm. Kalba will also be looking to collect a positive result after opening their campaign with a 3-0 defeat to Shabab Al Ahli.
In six encounters in the Arabian Gulf League, Ajman emerged winners four times, lost once and drew once.
Despite their recent defeat, Ajman coach Ayman Al Ramadi expressed confidence in his team. He said, "I am not worried. I'm confident Ajman will make a comeback because we have an excellent group of players."
Kalba's manager Jorge Da Silva explained that it will be a tough game as both sides will be looking to get a win after their disappointing performance in the opening game. He added that he addressed the team's mistakes in Shabab Al Ahli's game.
Meanwhile, Shabab Al Ahli will be hosting Al Ain at Rashid Stadium in the most anticipated game of the week. Both sides will be aiming to maintain their perfect start to the season and get their second win in a row, as Shabab Al Ahli defeated Kalba 3-0, and Al Ain earned a 2-0 win over Khorfakkan.
Shabab Al Ahli and Al Ain met 22 times in the Arabian Gulf League. None of these games ended in a goalless draw and a total of 70 goals were scored.
Shabab Al Ahli coach Gerard Zaragoza said that his team is ready for the Al Ain encounter. "We'll be facing a big team and it's important to get the win," he added.
On the other hand, Al Ain coach Pedro Emanuel said, "we are preparing for a strong game against an organized team that have impressive players within their ranks."
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