There is no risk that Al Ain’s President’s Cup disappointment will poison their preparations for today’s Asian Champions League decider, according to striker Asamoah Gyan.
The Boss’ hold on the UAE’s most prestigious cup ended on Saturday when Al Nasr striker Ibrahima Toure struck late to score the only goal of a tight quarter-final.
This fixture came in the middle of a two-legged round-of-16 continental clash against domestic rivals Al Ahli, the tie evenly poised after a goalless opener in Dubai.
The setback against the Blue Wave comes as a rare blow for Zlatko Dalic’s triumphant team, who have already claimed the 2014/15 Arabian Gulf League title and finished top of their ACL group.
When asked whether this setback could shatter their confidence headed into the decider at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Gyan replied: “No way. The players know what is at stake. The staff spoke to us and [chairman of the board of directors] Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Khaled Al Nahyan spoke to us to be more focused on the Champions League. That is the most important thing right now.
“We have lost against Al Nasr – there are no excuses. We lost to a good side. It is gone and we need to concentrate on what is ahead.”
Ghana captain Gyan was restricted to a late substitute’s role at Al Maktoum Stadium, a lingering quadraceps problem creating a bitty campaign.
This is in contrast to last term’s perfect run, starting every AGL match and each one in the Boss’ run to the 2014 ACL semifinals as he impressively finished top scorer in both competitions.
Gyan revealed his bit-part weekend role came as he looks to manage his fitness and he is not certain to be ready to play 90 minutes in the midweek battle.
He said: “For now, I do not know if I will definitely start. It depends on my condition. I was not feeling that good for this game [against Al Nasr]. I just wanted to have a bit of playing time to get ready for Wednesday. Everybody is ready for Wednesday, as we cannot afford to drop anything at home.”
Al Ain played below their usual high level against Nasr, the match representing their fifth in little more than two weeks.
This run has forced Dalic to wring out the last drops from a squad which has fought for trophies on multiple fronts this season, as well as providing a third of the UAE squad which gained third place at November’s Gulf Cup and January’s Asian Cup. Gyan believes his side paid the price for wasting chances when not at their sharpest.
“Physically, we were a bit down [against Nasr],” Gyan said. “The weather also did not help us. But we had a couple of chances where we could have scored. That is football.”