The eighth confrontation in one year between Shabab Al-Ahly and Sharjah.. “Super”

The Super Cup final holds a heavy-caliber confrontation that brings together Shabab Al-Ahly and Al-Sharjah, when the two teams meet for the eighth time in 2025, at 19:45 pm today at Al Maktoum Stadium, in a direct struggle for an independent title that does not recognize the results that preceded it, and gives preference only to those who are good at dealing with the details and pressures of the final.

The Super Cup confrontation comes at a very difficult time for both teams, as both sides enter it after a painful Asian loss, as Shabab Al-Ahly fell to Al-Sadd of Qatar, while Al-Sharjah lost its continental confrontation to Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia, which made the Super Final an opportunity to restore moral balance, and open a new page after external setbacks that affected the general condition of the two teams.

The difficulty of timing does not stop at the continental side only, but extends to the position of the two teams in the ADNOC Professional League table, as the current scene is very far from the picture of last season, which witnessed a direct struggle between them at the top.

Shabab Al-Ahly occupies fourth place in the ranking table, while Al-Sharjah is experiencing a difficult season by reaching 11th place, which reflects the amount of pressure placed on the technical staff and players.

The pressures increased with the two teams’ exit from the Professional League Cup (Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank Cup), in a strong blow to the ambitions of each party this season. Sharjah also received an additional blow after being eliminated from the round of 16 in the President’s Cup against United, one of the first division clubs, in one of the biggest surprises of the tournament.

Amid these facts, the Super Final turns into a golden opportunity to save what can be saved, restore confidence, and reconnect the two teams with their fans through a title that carries great moral value, especially in light of the state of fluctuation that the two parties are experiencing locally and continentally.

The Super Final represents an extension of a long series of confrontations that brought the two teams together during the year 2025, as they met in seven previous matches across various local competitions, making tonight’s confrontation the eighth in one season, an unprecedented number between two local teams, and reflects the scale of the rivalry that imposed itself on the football scene this season.

Shabab Al-Ahly has a numerical advantage in these confrontations, having won three matches, compared to four draws, without suffering any loss against Sharjah, which reflects relative stability in performance and a greater ability to manage big matches.

Shabab Al-Ahly is the most participating in the history of the UAE Super Cup with 10 participations, and also tops the list of the most crowned champions with seven titles, which puts it in front of a historic opportunity to enhance its record and lift the cup for the eighth time, and the third time in a row.

On the other hand, Sharjah enters the final looking to break this dominance, and regain its presence on the podium through a tournament that it previously won twice in the professional era, and hopes that today’s final will be a turning point in its path this season.

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Caio Lucas: We have the ambition and experience to win the championship

Caio Lucas, a player for the Sharjah team, confirmed that facing the Super Cup final against Shabab Al-Ahly represents a great challenge, noting that the team enters the match with a clear ambition to achieve the title.

Caio said in a press conference: “We know that the match will be difficult against a large team that has extensive experience in finals, but we have confidence in ourselves and in our ability to compete.” He added: “I played in many final matches in my career, and I always try to help the team with my experience on the field and make the fans happy.” He explained: “It does not matter what position I play in, whether as a striker or a winger, the most important thing is to implement the coach’s instructions, and employ my capabilities to serve the team and achieve the collective goal, which is winning the title.”

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Souza: I came to Shabab Al-Ahly to win titles

Shabab Al-Ahly coach, Portuguese Paulo Sousa, confirmed his team’s physical and mental readiness to play the decisive matches, stressing his great confidence in his players and their ability to deal with the final matches.

Souza said in a press conference: “We always work on the correct psychological and physical preparation, and we know very well the requirements of big matches. The focus is on what we can control on the field, and this is the basis for dealing with pressure.”

He added: “We went through difficult periods this season, due to the intensity of matches, injuries, and international participation, but the players made a great effort, and I am proud of what they gave, especially in light of the small number of local players compared to last season.”

He pointed out that the absence of some influential elements, the most important of which is the Iranian striker Sardar, imposed new solutions, saying: “We believe in the offensive style of play because it is the most difficult and the best way to develop players.”

He concluded: “I came to Shabab Al-Ahly to win titles. This is my mentality, and we have the quality and resources that give us the crown.”

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Moraes: Football does not wait

Sharjah coach, Portuguese Jose Moraes, expressed his happiness at competing in the Super Cup final, stressing that the match brings together the two best teams of last season.

Moraes said in a press conference: “The match is difficult against the league champion, and we prepared the team in a different way. “The two teams know each other well, and the details will be decisive.”

He added: “I have only been with the team for 10 days. I am trying to get to know the players and build confidence, but football does not wait for time. We are now looking for a championship.”

Moraes had recently taken over as coach of Sharjah, after terminating his contract with Al Wahda Club by mutual consent, succeeding Serbian coach Milos, who had not achieved the desired results with Sharjah since the beginning of the current season in all tournaments.

He continued: “If the goalkeeper is ready, and the attackers are ready to score, we will win the title, as this is the mentality required to win.” We respect Al-Ahly youth a lot, but we are looking for coronation.”