Asian Champions League: Al Ahli manager Cosmin Olaroiu is keeping his eyes on the prize against Saudi namesakes

DUBAI // Cosmin Olaroiu says Al Ahli will put aside all thoughts of the club’s recent merger and focus only on finishing the season with a spot in the Asian Champions League quarter-finals.

The Dubai side, finalists in 2015, host Saudi Arabian namesakes Al Ahli at the Rashid Stadium on Monday night in the second leg of their last-16 clash, with the aggregate score at 1-1 following last week’s draw in Jeddah.

The return encounter represents Ahli’s last match before the summer break, but it could also be the final fixture for the club in its current guise. Earlier this month, it was announced Ahli would merge with Al Shabab and Dubai club, forming a new entity called Shabab Al Ahli Dubai Club.

Olaroiu refused to be drawn on the merger when asked about it at Sunday’s pre-match press conference, insisting instead that he was fully concentrated on defeating Ahli Jeddah. Pressed if the decision had galvanised he and his players for one final push, the Romanian replied: “Everyone should be motivated always. I’m motivated each day the same, every day when I wake up that I’m alive. I’m always motivated; I always try to do my best.

“If we go the quarter-final we can be whoever you want us to be,” Olaroiu joked. “But the important thing is that we have to go to the quarter-final.”

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A scoreless draw would be enough to see Ahli through to the last eight after midfielder Khamis Esmail grabbed what could prove an important away goal at King Abdullah Sports City. The two teams met at the Rashid Stadium in the groups stages two years ago, drawing 3-3, a result that forms part of Ahli Dubai’s 14-match unbeaten home record in the Champions League.

“It’s the last game in the season, we want to go with a good impression, a good result and, of course, qualification,” Olaroiu said. “After all the difficult moments and great effort we made this season, I hope the players find the energy, power and motivation to make one more step and also pass this next round.

“I know it will not be easy. Ahli Jeddah are a very strong team, with a lot of quality players. But I think we have the possibility and we are going to do our best to take this step.

“The most important for us is to qualify. I don’t know what the scenario of the game will be - the important thing is at the end of the game that Al Ahli go into the quarter-finals. We have to play well to pass Ahli Jeddah, but I hope our players will do it again and show their strong character one more time.”

The match could be Everton Ribeiro’s final outing for the club. The Brazilian playmaker is expected to move back to his homeland this summer, with Flamengo reportedly having a $7 million (Dh25.7m) offer already accepted by Ahli.

Asked if this would be his farewell game for the Dubai team, Ribeiro said: “It could be. But as we said before, the most important for everything is to achieve one more target, which is to go to the quarter-final. I’m focused on this, as I have been all the time, in helping the team and providing the goals to qualify.”

jmcauley@thenational.ae

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