Javier Saviola, the former Barcelona and Real Madrid striker who is struggling to seal a starting spot at Benfica, has turned down an offer to move to the Dubai club during the January transfer window, according to Portuguese newspaper Diario de Noticias. The offer for the Argentine, 29, according to the newspaper, came in the last week of September through a cousin, who was acting as an intermediary between Saviola and Wasl, but he said no after being promised more opportunities in the coming months by his coach Jorge Jesus. Spanish clubs Sevilla, Villarreal and Espanyol have also shown an interest in the forward.
Paulo Bonamigo will be missing some of his key players tonight when Shabab travel to Sharjah for their Etisalat Cup match. Azizbek Hydarov has left to assist the Uzbekistan national team in their 2014 World Cup qualifier against North Korea on Tuesday, and Walid Abbas and Mohammed Ahmed are on UAE national duty. Bonamigo will also be missing Essa Mohammed and Mohammed Marzooq through injuries, while Abdullah Darwish is doubtful after missing training because of a thigh strain. Shabab lost 3-1 to Al Ahli in the last match and Bonamigo said: "We need to forget that game and play the best we can in Sharjah. We will have to work really hard because we are missing some important players."
Valeriu Tita is hoping to use tonight's Etisalat Cup match against Al Shabab to get his team into top shape ahead of the start of the Pro League next weekend. Sharjah have a tough opening to the campaign. They visit Al Wasl on October 16 and then host Al Jazira, the defending champions, in the second round. "We start with two really tough matches and this game against Shabab gives me an opportunity to gauge the real level of the players before I finalise my squad for the league," Tita said.
Zayed Al Kathiri and Mohsin Al Hashmi, both products of the Al Wahda Academy, were given three-year first-team contracts yesterday. Al Kathiri, the 20-year-old midfielder is the younger brother of Saeed Al Kathiri, the club's UAE international forward. Al Hashmi, 21, will be understudy to the first-team goalkeeper Mutaz Abdulla, the former UAE international, and Adel Al Hosani, the Olympic team stopper.
Khamis Ismail does not regret leaving Emirates for Al Jazira even it could mean him facing a fight for a first-team place. The midfielder will captain his new team tonight against Al Ain in the Etisalat Cup, in place of the suspended Ibrahim Diaky. "Everyone wants to play for a team that won the league and President's Cup," he said. "It is up to me to show the coach my quality in this game and continue to work hard. This is a club I want to play for." In other team news, Ali Kasheif is expected to play his first game of the season since returning from a knee surgery. The goalkeeper was named in the squad as a depleted Jazira meet Al Ain in tonight's Etisalat Cup Group A at the Maktoum bin Rashid Stadium in Dubai.
* Compiled by Amith Passela, Ahmed Rizvi and Neil Cameron