Mbark Boussoufa has warned Al Wahda not to “write-off” Al Jazira when the Abu Dhabi rivals meet in the President’s Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday.
Jazira face Arabian Gulf Cup winners Wahda at Baniyas stadium aiming to avenge two defeats – a 4-2 loss in the Arabian Gulf League 4-2 followed by a 2-0 reverse in the Super Cup.
“In football, every game is a new game,” Jazira playmaker Boussoufa said in a pre-match news conference on Tuesday.
“It’s true we lost to them twice but that doesn’t guarantee them another win. In fact, for us, it’s another chance to win over them.
“It’s going to be a tough game. Wahda has shown they have a good team this season. They have already won two trophies but this a quarter-final and if we want to go through we must win this game.”
The quarter-final has the added spice of being a city derby, which has only increased the stakes for Bousoufa and his Jazira teammates.
“Indeed, it’s a derby match but we know how important it’s for us to win,” the Moroccan said.
Runaway Arabian Gulf League champions last season, Jazira are down in seventh in the AGL table this campaign, 22 points behind leaders Al Ain.
However, they are through to the knockout stages of the Asian Champions League, and represented themselves well in the Fifa Club World Cup in December, reaching the semi-finals before losing narrowly to Real Madrid.
“Jazira won the league but this is a title any club will find hard to win back-to-back,” Boussoufa said. “We have done very well this year, we played well in the Fifa Club World Cup and have done well so far in the Asian Champions League.
“We are still in the President’s Cup for now. Jazira is always playing to win trophies. Only this year we are not in the race in the AGL and the Super Cup is only a one-off game.
“I just wanted to make this point because Jazira have been playing for trophies. I don’t see many teams winning the league twice in a row. It happens sometimes, but it’s not easy.”
Jazira manager Henk ten Cate said winning the President’s Cup has as much importance as winning the league because the winner receives a direct qualification to the Asian Champions League.
“Fortunately we have everyone for this game,” Ten Cate said. “We lost the two previous meetings with Wahda but no team likes to get beat by the same opponent three times.
“We need to be disciplined because Wahda is a very well organised team. They have some exceptional players and their midfield is the strongest. It’s going to be a tight game.
“In the Super Cup we made two individual mistakes and that cost us the game. The team was broken after the second goal.
“We are in a different situation now. We played in the Champions League and were successful in that. The win over Al Gharafa was big and it gave us a lot of confidence.”
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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