He stressed that «Dubai Knights» did not fear the approach of Al Ain and Al Wahda in the last rounds

Harib Abdullah: We made sure that Shabab Al-Ahli won the league after «Al-Jazeera Remontada»

  • Abdullah fought during Shabab Al Ahli celebrations in the league. From the source

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Shabab Al Ahli player Harib Abdullah Suhail confirmed that the «Dubai Knights» faced many difficult stations on the way to crowning the ADNOC Professional League title for the eighth time in its history, pointing out that the team's match against Al Jazira in the second round was the turning point that confirmed that the league shield wants Shabab Al Ahli.

Shabab Al Ahli won the ADNOC Professional League title before the end of the tournament, while its last match against Ajman was a celebration of the coronation and won it with a clean goal to be crowned the title for the eighth time in its history.

Harib Abdullah told Emirates Today that Shabab Al Ahli had many challenges, explaining: "The season has been difficult from the beginning, especially since a large number of followers excluded the team from the list of teams nominated to compete for the title, which gave us a greater incentive to respond to skeptics in the capabilities of the group of players in the team."

He added: «It is not normal to exclude a big team like Shabab Al-Ahli from the competition for the title, and despite the not good start for us in the first five rounds, but the confidence of the management and the technical staff and the focus of the players to overcome this difficult start is more important in improving results».

He pointed out that Portuguese coach Leonardo Jardim dealt wonderfully with the players, and said: «I remember a sentence Jardim said to the players after a match, saying that if I enter a war I can lose a battle but I cannot lose the war, in reference to the fact that we have achieved some negative results but it does not mean that the team is out of the competition, and that we can return to the normal track in the competition for the first places in the standings».

On the most difficult match played by Shabab Al-Ahli, which had a great impact on the team's approach to winning the title, he said: «facing Al-Jazira in the second round had great importance, especially as it is in front of a direct competitor for the league title, at home and in front of its fans, while we started negatively by being two goals behind, but in the second half we achieved a wonderful return (remontada) and scored three goals to win the team the most important match in the march of crowning the title, and then we made sure that the league shield wants Shabab Al-Ahli».

Regarding the approach of Al Ain and Al Wahda to Shabab Al Ahli in the points difference in the last rounds of the competition and the impact on the players, he said: "We were not afraid of Al Ain and Al Wahda approaching in the last rounds, and we were thinking about ourselves and relying on winning the matches we play without looking at the results of the competitors."

He continued: «The league in the current season is one of the most difficult seasons in the professionals, but through the solidarity of management, technical staff and players we achieved the title».

On the other hand, the national team player talked about his future ambitions, and said: «I hope to achieve more championships with Shabab Al-Ahli and that the team competes for the AFC Champions League title, but on a personal level, I seek to become the best player in Asia, and to qualify with the national team to the 2026 World Cup in the United States of America, Mexico and Canada».

He continued: «As for professionalism in one of the European leagues among my wishes, but this is related to getting a suitable offer and to benefit Shabab Al-Ahli and benefit me personally in my interest and the interest of the national team, but currently I am committed to my contract with (Dubai Knights) and I hope that the league title will be the beginning of reaping more titles in the coming period».

Harib Abdullah:

• «We achieved the title with the solidarity of the management, the technical staff and the players».

• "The current season's league is one of the most difficult seasons in the professionals."