Author: Altayeb Ali

Al Dhafra’s first football team will travel to face Khorfakkan on Friday evening as part of Round 11 of the ADNOC Pro League.

The match will be played at Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi Stadium in Khorfakkan City on the eastern coast, with kick-off scheduled for 4:55 PM. Al Dhafra enter the fixture with high ambitions to halt their run of negative results in their last three matches and return to the path of victories.

Al Dhafra are hoping to overcome the difficult circumstances they have recently faced due to key absences caused by suspensions and injuries, as they seek to restore positive momentum despite the challenge of facing a strong opponent who benefits from home advantage and fan support.

Following their most recent match against Bani Yas, the team completed only two training sessions, during which head coach Željko Petrović and his technical staff focused on correcting defensive errors and improving attacking efficiency, with the aim of delivering a stronger performance and maintaining the team’s position in the league standings.

Al Dhafra go into the match in eighth place with 12 points, while Khorfakkan sit tenth with 11 points.

Best of luck to Al Dhafra’s players in producing a strong performance and securing a positive result.

Montenegrin coach Željko Petrović, head coach of Al Dhafra Club, stated that his team did not expect the defeat they suffered in their most recent match against Bani Yas, which was played at the latter’s home ground, stressing that the result did not reflect the level of preparation that preceded the fixture.

Petrović made the remarks during the pre-match press conference for Al Dhafra’s upcoming clash against Khorfakkan, held on Wednesday at the media hall of Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan Stadium in Madinat Zayed, in the presence of defender Mohsen Al Rabja.

The Al Dhafra coach explained that the loss had a relative impact on the team’s position in the league table compared to their previous standing, despite full technical and physical readiness. However, he emphasized the need for the team to show strong character and be at peak readiness in the upcoming match, as they were at the start of the league campaign.

Petrović noted that he has a strong group of players capable of securing a positive result, but acknowledged the absence of several key players, most notably striker Karim El Berkaoui, describing his absence as a major loss. He explained that during the first 30 minutes of the Bani Yas match, Al Dhafra created several chances and delivered dangerous crosses, but lacked the decisive finishing touch inside the penalty area due to El Berkaoui’s absence.

The coach also praised young forward Abdulrahman Al Sousi, describing him as a talented player who delivered a good performance and showed great effort. However, Petrović stressed that Al Sousi is still at an early stage of his career and needs more time to gain experience, as well as the benefit of playing alongside an experienced striker like El Berkaoui.

Petrović also confirmed the return of Mohsen Al Rabja to the squad, expressing his satisfaction with the current group of players and stressing that the team will continue its journey with the same spirit and determination.

Al Rabja: We Need the Support of Al Dhafra Fans

For his part, Mohsen Al Rabja, who returns after suspension, said that Al Dhafra is a strong team with experienced players capable of correcting the team’s course and getting back on track, despite the difficulty of the upcoming match against Khorfakkan.

He called on Al Dhafra supporters to stand behind the team and support them in this match and the upcoming fixtures, stressing that fan support provides a major motivational boost for the players on the pitch.