Grafite says renewed focus for Al Ahli is the writing on the wall

Grafite has urged his Al Ahli teammates to redouble their efforts as this season will not be a “bed of roses” for the defending Arabian Gulf League and Arabian Gulf Cup champions.

Starting their campaign with the Super Cup win, Ahli were nearly unstoppable last season. They finished 16 points ahead of Al Wahda in the league and defeated Al Jazira in the AGC final.

Cosmin Olaroiu’s side lost only three of their 34 matches in those two competitions and were on the verge of completing an unprecedented treble, but lost to Al Ain in the President’s Cup final.

Given their success last season, Grafite expects the focus of every team to be on Ahli.

“The task is not going to be easy. It will not be a bed of roses,” the Brazilian striker said.

“When you have been successful in the last season and have won titles, you must focus even more because every team will be looking at Ahli and wanting to stop us.

“We also need to remember that all the teams have changed and brought in players to strengthen their ranks. So it is not going to be like last season and we have to be ready for a really tough season. Winning all the matches is not going to be easy.

“Of course, all the Ahli fans will expect us to do as well as we did last season. They will want us to win all the matches, all the tournaments and accept nothing less.

“But, as a player, we need to make sure we do not allow that pressure to burden us and affect our performance.

“We just need to go out there and do everything possible within our means. We need to look at the mistakes we have made in the past and correct them, and raise our levels.”

In an interview on the official Al Ahli website, Grafite also warned against complacency and the dangers of developing a sense of superiority, citing his own experience.

He scored 19 goals in Ahli’s league campaign and was named Foreign Player of the Year last season, but he does not believe he lived up to the high standards he sets for himself.

“I thought I was the best and that’s what caused me some problems and difficulties,” he said.

“I could tell from my performance on the pitch. So in the world of football, you should never allow yourself to fall into this trap.”

Ahli open their campaign on September 12 with a repeat of last year’s Super Cup clash against Al Ain. Eleven months ago, Olaroiu’s team won the season-opener on penalties. They also beat Al Ain twice in league matches.

Grafite said Ahli will not be thinking of vengeance for the President’s Cup defeat when they meet Al Ain at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium next month.

He said: “We played Al Ain a few times and managed to beat them in most of the matches. So, despite the loss in the President’s Cup final, I believe we have played well against Al Ain.

“Any match against them is a tough challenge and, this time, they will be better prepared than the other teams because they will have already played two official matches of the Asian Champions League. So it is going to be a special match, a difficult one for both sides.”

arizvi@thenational.ae

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