Ciel’s absence creates a void
No team, we keep hearing, depends on a player or two. But some individuals, by dint of their brilliance, are virtually irreplaceable. Ciel happens to fall in that category. Through sheer speed, he has kept unlocking the sturdiest of defences in the Arabian Gulf League, both for Al Shabab and Ahli.
With Ciel on his left, or at times on the right, Grafite could confidently venture into the box, knowing those crafty crosses will be coming his way. And if his senior compatriot was having an off day, Ciel would put the onus on himself, weaving his way across a maze of defenders and leaving goalkeepers in a daze with his scorching left-footers.
But now he is gone, out for six months with a fractured ankle, after a reckless, if not outright malicious, tackle by Sharjah’s Shahin Abdulrahman. Cosmin Olaroiu has lost his Man Friday; Ahli, and the league, one their most electrifying players. Ahli’s title defence just became more difficult.
End of Toure’s sojourn at Nasr?
Sharjah’s Abdulrahman was not the only villain of the opening week. Al Nasr’s Ibrahima Toure ranks alongside him after his thuggish off-the-ball assault on Baniyas’ Mohammed Jaber.
The 28-year-old Senegalese striker might not be looking for a new profession yet, though the elbow that left Jaber with a deep cut above the left eye might suggest some martial arts skills. But Toure could certainly be looking for a new club.
Fans, of both Nasr and Baniyas, are in uproar, not happy with the “indefinite ban” imposed on Toure by the club management as they await the disciplinary committee’s verdict. They want him off the books and that looks a distinct possibility, since he could be staring at a minimum six-match ban.
Using his Instagram account, Toure has apologised to Jaber and the Baniyas player has graciously accepted it. “It’s OK, this is just a game and you are a big player,” Jaber wrote. The disciplinary committee and the Nasr administration, however, might not take such a lenient view.
Lanzini is ready to rock
While Abdulrahman and Toure were in the spotlight for their indiscretions, Al Jazira’s Manuel Lanzini was the poster boy for the sublime side of the “Beautiful Game” with his magnificent two-goal debut at Ajman. The 21-year-old Argentine opened the scores with a fine volley and then tricked his way past through a crowded defence for his second to give Jazira a 2-1 lead going into the break.
Abdulaziz Barrada was certainly not missed and Lanzini’s performance bodes well for Jazira. With him, Jonathan Pitroipa and Mirko Vucinic, who scored Jazira’s third, coach Eric Gerets is assured of blockbuster performances up front. The same, however, cannot be said about Jazira’s defence. It was a nervous performance at the back and, if not for goalkeeper Ali Kasheif, Lanzini’s efforts could have been in vain.
The 2010/11 champions need to tighten things up if they hope to challenge Al Ahli for the title.
Leagues apart
The promoted clubs Kalba and Fujairah received a rude welcome back to the top flight. Kalba were atrocious in their 5-0 drubbing by Al Wahda. Their defence was in tatters and Damian Diaz and co thoroughly enjoyed the schoolboy efforts to contain them.
Fujairah were a lot better, but then they were playing Emirates and the 1-0 defeat at home will certainly rankle. Yes, it is a long season ahead, but if Abdulwahab Abdulqadir’s side hope to stay afloat in the AGL after their ambitious recruitment drive in the summer, they need to win points at home, especially against teams who could potentially be fighting for survival towards the end. Eight months hence, this could be remembered as a relegation six-pointer.
Both teams were missing one foreign player due to a delay in registration – Kalba were without striker Luis Leal while Fujairah took the pitch without Hassan Yebda – and that is surprising because they had enough time to sort out the papers. But then, they are coming from the amateur division and professionalism is a lot more than just promotion.
Moral of the story for them – Division One and the AGL are leagues apart.
arizvi@thenational.ae
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