Today's Edition
Moatasem Abdullah (Abu Dhabi)
Abu Dhabi club Al Jazira are going to rely on the sons of their immediate soil wherever possible by including eight youth players from their own Academy for the coming season; six of them are Emiratis.
The team has reached the Spanish city of Marbella as part of its off-season training with a preparatory camp for the 2024-25 season. The trip will provide some dedicated time with the team for the new coach Hussein Ammouta, the Moroccan who left Jordan as their national manager to take up the assignment in the UAE capital.
Ammouta confirmed his intention to give opportunities to young players in the new season through statements before heading off to Spain. Under the coach, Jordan reached the final of the Asian Cup for the first time. As a player, the 54-year-old played a season for Sharjah in the 2001-2002 season as midfielder.
“Giving the opportunity to young players must be calculated so as not to place a greater responsibility on the youth. We will integrate positively, and we will find the appropriate combination by mixing experienced and young players,” the manager said.
All the youngsters will also gain confidence after making the trip with the rest of the senior squad while the club management showed its intentions clear in the final weeks of the ADNOC Pro League last season.
Among the six young national players at Al Jazira is the striker Ali Al Mamari, still in his teens at 19 years old, who succeeded in getting his first opportunity to participate in the Pro League’s climax. He came on as a substitute in two matches – in the 2-0 result against Emirates and against Al Ain in a 2-1 thriller as Rounds 24 and 26 respectively.
Al Jazira midfielder Mohamed Al Wafi, 21, is waiting for his first chance to participate with the senior team after playing in the last three seasons in the Under-21 Reserve League, while young defender Youssef Al Marzouqi, 19, hopes, in turn, to seize the opportunity to play with the club.
A few of the young players are coming back from other clubs after having been loaned out by Al Jazira so they could gather more experience and now the club is assessing their potential while in camp in Marbella.
As part of the preparations for the new season, among those, is goalkeeper Abdullah Al Hammadi, 22, who played a starting role in 32 matches with United Club in the First Division League as well as the World Cup qualifiers last season.
Meanwhile, the 21-year-old defender Hamdan Al Ameri took part in 21 matches with the Hatta club in professional competitions last season on loan, before returning to the ranks of Al Jazira, and the same thing applies to the young striker Hazza Sabit Khater, 21, who defended in the colours of Al Dhafra club. Al Jazira’s roster also includes young players, the resident duo of goalkeeper Mohamed Thiem and Baba Jasma.
