During the pre-match press conference for the Al Wasl and Shabab Al Ahli match in the Dubai Derby, Rui Vitoria, head coach of the Al Wasl first football team, confirmed the team’s readiness to play against Shabab Al Ahli in the third round of the ADNOC Pro League, which will take place on Friday, August 28 of this month.

Rui Vitoria said: “We will play a strong match, and we have difficult work on Friday. Shabab Al Ahli is a very good team; they have good players and a great coach.”

He added: “I expect it to be a strong match, and that it will be the right time to play the derby match. We have achieved two wins and our position in the league is good, but this will be a good challenge for us, and we are ready.”

He concluded his statements: “We respect Shabab Al Ahli. For two years, they have been playing with almost the same players, and they have technical stability. I see that it will be a difficult match for both teams. We will fight for the 90 minutes. Our players are ready, and any small details may change the course of the match, but what is important for us is that the fans are satisfied with the team and that we collect the points of the match.”

For his part, Al Wasl player Serginho confirmed that the team’s preparations for the match are going well, pointing out that the players are aware of the importance of the match and the nature of derby matches.

Serginho said: “The preparations are good, we train well every day. We know that it is a derby match, and we will play to achieve victory.”

He concluded his statements: “Like any match, every team we face is a difficult match for us; every match has its challenges. We know that Shabab Al Ahli is a strong team and competes for the league title almost every season, but we want to put on a great match worthy of us as players, make our fans happy, and collect the three points.”