Today's Edition
KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
Sharjah is banking on home support to mount a determined comeback against Saudi rivals Al Taawoun in the second leg of the AFC Champions League Two semi-final on Tuesday.
Trailing by a single goal after Abdelhamid Sabiri's early strike in the first leg, Cosmin Olaroui is confident the local side has the ability to overturn the deficit if the home fans turn up in large numbers as their Saudi counterparts did in Buraidah in the first leg.
The focus on head coach Olaroiu is more so as he faces a crucial test even for his stellar career as a seasoned manager. A rallying win will not only ensure a berth into the final and complete a revival of Sharjah into the top flight since he took over in 2021, Olaroui is also in contention to take over as the UAE national team manager.
Word off the street is that the terms have been agreed upon for Olaroiu to take over from the sacked Paulo Bento in the final phase of the World Cup qualifying where the UAE has three matches to come good, starting in June.
Olaroiu did not say anything to quell the talk between the first and second leg, while insisting the task ahead of Sharjah is paramount. "No contract has been signed. As long as nothing is finalised, it means that nothing will affect us or the players," Olaroiu told reporters in Buraidah.
Olaroiu has achieved notable success with Al Sharjah, securing the President's Cup in 2022 and 2023, and the League Cup in 2023. His coaching career includes managing top clubs in the Middle East and a brief tenure as Saudi Arabia's national team coach in 2014-2015.
Meanwhile, in the five days since, his men have got rested fully to prepare for this crucial match. In contrast, Al Taawoun enters the fixture following a 1-1 draw with Al Akhdoud in the Saudi Pro League, potentially impacting their momentum.
Both coaches remain confident of their team's chances. For Al Taawoun, their second-minute goal from Sabiri was the only shot on target while Olaroiu's attack was profligate.
"In my opinion, we didn't deserve to lose. It's true that we started poorly and were hesitant, but then we got into the game and created many chances but we couldn't convert them due to Al Taawoun's excellent defence," Olaroiu said.
Sharjah's journey to the semi-finals has been marked by tenacity, notably their quarter-final victory over Shabab Al Ahli, which was secured through a 5-4 penalty shootout after a 2-2 aggregate draw. Goalkeeper Adel Alhosani emerged as the hero, saving a crucial penalty to propel his team forward. Despite recent challenges in securing home victories, Sharjah remains undeterred.
If Olaroiu has to justify that his attention has been undivided, his strategic plan will have to be backed by his misfiring squad and the 12th man – the supporters. "We're still in the competition and will fight to advance to the final. Al Taawoun's fans were influential and supported their team until the end but at home, we'll see the power of the Sharjah fans," he said in hope.
Olaroiu's counterpart Mohammed Al Abdali said: "We have only finished the first half, and we still have a difficult match ahead of us in Sharjah but we will strive to achieve another positive result and reach the final.
"We've tried in the recent period to restore the team's character and in the second leg, Sharjah will push forward because they have nothing to lose and this will give us opportunities to capitalise," said Abdali.
