Al Ain coach Ivan Liko said his team had performed well in their fifth friendly match at Slovenia's outpost, which ended in a 4-0 win over Osijek, who had scored impressive goals against the opposing team. They are strong, have dealt with the required confidence with the course of play, have also succeeded in implementing training plans accurately, and they are on track.
`` Mohamed Shaker was excluded from the squad list because he felt throat pain and high fever, so we preferred to rest him so that we would not risk him because he was not ready to enter the match list. To participate in today's team training together with his team mates, and although Mohamed Shaker did not participate in Osijek, I am very happy with the player's performance during his training sessions and friendly matches with the team.
Al-Zaeem beat the Croatian club Osijek 4-0 in the penultimate friendly of the team in the program of the external preparation camp, which took place the evening before yesterday at the stadium of Gornja Radjna, and the «Al-Zaeem» finished the first half with two straight goals. Algerian Abdelrahman Meziane (12) and Togolese Laba Koudjou (44) signed the game. In the second half, Jamal Maarouf added his team's third goal (82), before the Portuguese Nani strengthened Al Ain's fourth goal (83).
Mohammed Fayez, who had to be replaced in the first half hour of the match, said: “I think the worst thing against Osijek is the injury to Mohammed Fayez, who has a strong personality, high potential and good experience. "It is very difficult to determine the extent of the injury that he suffered at the moment, but he will undergo medical tests this evening. We hope that his injury will be light because the team needs the efforts of all elements."
As for his team's time in the camp, he said: “Things are going on in the external preparatory camp during the 21 days that we spent in the camp in the first and second phases in Austria and Slovenia, according to plans to equip the team in the required form before the start of the new sports season. He added: “We are very happy with the performance of all the team members, especially as we are required to enhance the readiness rate because the ceiling of the ambitions of the club and its fans is very high.”
Al Ain club player Mohsen Abdulla, who appeared in good form and succeeded in making his second goal against Osijek, said: “We have performed well in our penultimate friendly match against the Croatian team, and the level is constantly improving. The most appropriate period to look for the most important needs that strengthen the strength of the team to meet its challenges during the season, in order to achieve the desired ambitions and delight the nation Ainaw ».
He added: "The team has achieved a positive result unlike the last three games in Slovenia, and the benefits of friendly matches are not limited to the results, but there are more important aspects that the coach is looking for, namely tactical matters in addition to the rate of concentration, as well as standing on the rate of fitness, I believe. "The team has shown a convincing level, and they have made the necessary gains from the last friendly."
On the level of harmony between all elements of the team, he said: «The atmosphere is fully prepared in Al Ain Club to achieve the degree of harmony and adaptation since the first day with the team, because the spirit of family and dealing between everyone is based on the spirit of the team, Local and continental in the new season ».
• Meziane, Laba, Maarouf and Nani, scored the four goals of the leader.