70% percentage of Al Ain and Shabab Al Ahly qualifying for the “Cup” final

Sports analyst Subit Khater confirmed that the four clubs (Al-Ain, Shabab Al-Ahly, United and Al-Jazira) that qualified for the semi-finals of the President’s Cup deserved to advance, according to the performance they provided in the quarter-final matches, indicating that Al-Ain and Shabab Al-Ahly have become 70% candidates to qualify for the final.

Subit Khater told Emirates Al-Youm that the results were mostly normal, as the qualifying teams were worthy based on the performance they presented throughout the tournament, stressing the difficulty of the two semi-final matches after the draw that resulted in a strong confrontation bringing together Al-Jazira with Shabab Al-Ahly, and the match between Al-Ain and the tournament surprise United, where he pointed out that Shabab Al-Ahly and Al-Ain have become strong candidates for victory, but at the same time he pointed out that Al-Jazira’s danger cannot be overlooked, and the same is true for Al-Ahly and Al-Ain. United, which can achieve a new surprise after defeating both Al-Sharjah and Al-Wahda.

He added: “The only surprise was the United team, which performed very well and showed a strong personality, which made it resemble the performance of big teams in other tournaments, while Shabab Al-Ahly presented a realistic performance that befits its level and expected presence.”

He continued: “The return of Al Jazira at this time is important for everyone, as the team deserved its place in the semi-finals after the performance it made against Baniyas, and other teams must take this team into consideration as a strong and difficult competitor.”

As for the level of the Al-Wahda team and its exit from the tournament, he said: “The team faced difficult circumstances after the unexpected departure of coach Jose Moraes, while relying on a replacement coach who was not able to continue maintaining the good results that the team achieved in the first half of the season.”

He added: “Some of the team’s past negative results were the result of a lack of technical stability, as the assistant coach took over leadership of the matches, and the players also tried to make up for the deficiency, but technical leadership was necessary to avoid a drop in level.”

He pointed out that Al-Wehda presented an inconsistent level that contributed to the decline in the team’s ambitions with which it began the season. He said: “I see that the management provided all the necessary things for the club, including attracting the best players, but the sudden departure of the coach affected the team’s course negatively.”

Regarding Al Jazira’s match against Baniyas and “Abu Dhabi Pride” narrowly qualifying for the semi-finals, Subait Khater considered that the team showed great fight and perseverance, which gives it good chances of qualifying for the final. He pointed out that the two big teams, Shabab Al Ahly and Al Ain, have great stability, whether in terms of players or technical management, which makes it natural to expect them to reach the final. However, he warned that the performance during the two matches will give preference to the more focused team, which confirms that Al Jazira’s chances are high. United are in line to qualify for the final.

Regarding Al-Wahda’s contract with coach Darko Milanic, Subit Khater considered that the choice is appropriate at this stage, especially since the coach lived with the team last season and knows the players and the system well, indicating that this decision enhances technical stability and gives the team an opportunity to regain its normal level after a period of fluctuating results.

He stressed that football is full of surprises, and that continuous performance and technical stability are the main factors for reaching the podium, praising the great efforts made by the players in all teams during the quarter-finals.