“We have only finished the first half, and we still have a difficult match ahead of us in Sharjah but we will strive to achieve another positive result and reach the final.
“We’ve tried in the recent period to restore the team’s character and in the second leg, Sharjah will push forward because they have nothing to lose and this will give us opportunities to capitalise,” said Abdali.

Olariu, while admitting his side did not start well, felt Sharjah did not deserve to lose.
“In my opinion, we didn’t deserve to lose. It’s true that we started poorly and were hesitant, but then we got into the game and created many chances but we couldn’t convert them due to Al Taawoun’s excellent defence.
“We’re still in the competition and will fight to advance to the final. Al Taawoun’s fans were influential and supported their team until the end but at home, we’ll see the power of the Sharjah fans,” said Olariu.