The Arabian Gulf League is starting a new season.
After the coronavirus outbreak cancelled the 2019/20 term, the same clubs begin now a new journey, without fans or media in the terraces, but with a dream for a better future. This supposed to be an interesting one, as Emirati football is going through a shift of generations and many teams hold talented youngsters in their rankings, from across the Middle East and Africa.
Therefore, here is a quick guide for you to start and explore Emirati football.
Ajman
Coach: Ayman Al Ramadi (Egypt)
Players to follow: William Owusu (Ghana), Isam Shaitit (Morocco)
What to expect? It’s Ajman’s 4th season in the UAE’s top flight. They finished 7th in 2018/19 and before the pandemic looked a bit shaky. They are practically a new team, so a lot will be depended on the way they progress.
Al-Ain
Coach: Pedro Emanuel (Portugal)
Players to follow: Kodjo Laba (Togo), Mohammed Abdulrahman, Mohamed Shaker (UAE)
What to expect? Al-Ain is not that massive side it was in the middle of the last decade when Omar Abdulrahman dominated the Arabian Gulf League just for fun. Yet, the team has maybe the deepest squad in the league and can run until the later stages in search to regain their lost glory.
Al Dhafra
Coach: Aleksandar Veselinovic (Serbia)
Player to watch: Yaseen Al-Bakhit (Jordan)
What to expect? It has been years since Al-Dhafra was fighting for the top places in the Arabian Gulf League. The arrival of experienced and charismatic Jordanian Yasin Al-Bakhit can add the team the right attitude to do so this season.
Al Jazira
Coach: Marcel Keizer (Nederlands)
Players to watch: Omar ‘Amoory’ Abdulrahman, Ali Mabkhout, Khalfan Mubarak, Abdullah Ramadan (UAE)
What to expect? Al-Jazira, The Pride of Abu Dhabi as they are nicknamed, are looking, like every season, nothing but the title. If Mubarak, Amoory and Mabkhout will connect, and if Thulani Serero and Imo Ezekiel will provide their share, Al-Jazira can be the best team in the league. Simple.
Al Nasr
Coach: Krunoslav Jurcic (Croatia)
Players to watch: Ryan Mendes (Cape Verde), Dia Saba (Israel), Sebastian Tagliabué (UAE/Argentina)
What to expect? Al-Nasr Dubai hasn’t won the championship title since 1986. The club has a great stadium, Al-Maktoum is situated in the best city in the Middle East probably, Dubai, but fails to deliver titles. Yet, something is different this season with the arrival of Ryan Mendes, Sharjah’s title architect, and Dia Saba, Israel national team forward, that joined in a historical transfer and will become the first Israeli player in the Arabian Gulf League’s history, and in an Arab league in general.
Al Wahda
Coach: Vuk Rašović (Serbia)
Players to watch: Ismaeil Mattar, Khalil Ibrahim, Yahya Al Ghassani (UAE), Paul-José Mpoku (Belgium/ DR Congo)
What to expect? Al-Wahda said goodbye to Sebastian Tagliabué, who was naturalized after years in the UAE and now ply his trade for Al-Nasr. The club from Al-Ghubaiba who withdrew from the AFC Champions League due to COVID-19 spread among the squad will look to kick a new and fresh era this year.
Al Wasl
Coach: Laurentiu Reghecampf (Romania)
Players to watch: Fabio De Lima (UAE/Brazil), Ronaldo Mendes (Brazil), Ali Saleh (UAE)
What to expect? Al-Wasl is the team the whole league is waiting for to wake-up from years of being a sleeping giant. One of the biggest clubs in manners of fanbase and impact won its last league title in 2007. This year, the Cheetahs must take two steps forward and bring some silverware to Zabeel, Dubai.
Baniyas
Coach: Daniel Isaila (Romania)
Players to watch: Gaston Suarez, Nicolas Jimenez (Argentina), Hamdan Al-Zaabi (UAE)
What to expect? Baniyas has a respectable name as the team who brought Mohammed Aboutrika back in the days, yet, they failed to be a major force in Emirati football. The team has a few interesting talents down the ranks from across the region. A good place in the middle of the table is cemented to their destiny unless something very unusual takes place.
Fujairah
Coach: Goran Tufegdzic (Serbia)
Players to watch: Samuel Armenteros (Sweden/Cuba), Abdullah Salem, Ali Eid (UAE)
What to expect? The club who went viral a few years ago when Diego Maradona coached them and guided them to the Arabian Gulf Cup final is now playing in the field of the big clubs. They never won a title, and they are doubtful to do so this year.
Hatta
Coach: Christos Kontis (Greece)
Players to watch: Kevin Londoño (Colombia), Abdullah Kazim (UAE)
What to expect? This season will be Hatta’s 4th season in the professional level of Emirati football. They have an interesting coach, but it is going to be a tough ride for them.
Kalba
Coach: Jorge Da Silva (Uruguay)
Players to watch: Junior Fernandes (Chile), Davide Mariani (Switzerland)
What to expect? Kalba is that kind of a team that can start strong and surprise you for three to six games, but then problems will pop, and they won’t keep the pace. They started 2019/20 season pretty good and fell, and then league got cancelled. There is no magic stick in Emirati football, and Kalba needs to take Sharjah’s path of the hard work, quality but not expensive foreign players, and a hardworking local coach, if they want to succeed.
Khor Fakkan
Coach: Caio Zanardi (Brazil)
Main player: Walid Sirag (Sudan), Fallah Waleed (UAE)
What to expect? Khor Fakkan, Khor Fakkan, Khor Fakkan! The last time that the team with the coolest name in the league has spent a full term in the Arabian Gulf League was in 2008/9. The pandemic killed their plans earlier this year, but they will look to escape relegation, and guarantee another year of professional football.
Shabab Al Ahli
Coach: Gerard Zaragoza (Spain)
Players to watch: Carlos Eduardo (Brazil), Azizon Ganijev (Uzbekistan), Ahmed Khalil & Harib Abdullah Suhail (UAE)
What to expect? Shabab Al-Ahli has the potential to become the biggest club in the Emirates, and one of the biggest in Asia. Five years ago they finished as AFC Champions League runner-ups when they were just Al-Ahli. Since the merge with Shabab Dubai and Nadi Dubai into one club, things aren’t the same. Maybe Carlos Eduardo, ex-Al-Hilal Riyadh who just joined, can twist that and give the club with the biggest explosive potential in the league, a bit of his winning character. Clear title contenders.
Sharjah
Coach: Abdulaziz al-Anbari (UAE)
Main player: Igor Coronado
What to expect? Sharjah is currently, on paper, one of the best teams in Emirati football. They are the champions, the only team with a local coach. With Caio, Welliton and Igor Coronado, they have a Brazilian trio that other teams in the Arabian Gulf League can only dream of. A repeat is coming? If the crowd will return and they’ll connect well, it’s quite possible.
Matchday 1 Fixtures:
Friday: Al Dhafra v Ajman, Al Wahda v Hatta, Al Fujairah v Sharjah, Al Wasl v Baniyas
Saturday: Al Ain v Khor Fakkan, Al Ittihad Kalba v Al Ahli, Al Nasr v Al Jazira
Photo via Arabian Gulf League media channels.
Wael Jabir, founder and CEO of Ahdaaf, contributed to this piece.
