El Jaish coach in awe of Omar Abdulrahman

UAE's Al Ain club player Omar Abdulrahman (L) fights for the ball with Qatar's el Jaish club player Magid Mohamed (C) during a semi-final first leg of the Asian Champions League football at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium Al-Ain on September 27, 2016. AFP

El Jaish coach Sambri Lamouchi is so impressed with Omar Abdulrahman that he termed the Al Ain mainstay as the 'best player in Asia'.
"Al Ain have absolutely the best player in Asia. He made the difference," Lamouchi said while congratulating Al Ain for 3-1 victory in the first leg of the AFC Champions League semis.
"He is an unbelievable player. I love him a lot, but it's not only me. All the coaches want a player like him because he fights with heart, and he is also a very nice playmaker with an amazing left foot," he said about the Man of the Match 'Amoory'.
Lamouchi couldn't stop raving about the player who scored one and assisted in the other two goals on Tuesday night at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium.
Reflecting on the game, he said they face an uphill task to qualify to the finals.
"It's going to be really difficult now as scoring two goals against this team is not easy," he told at the Press conference.
However, he said that apart from the first 20 minutes, the second-half was a better show.
France former international said it was big-stage experience that the team lacked and paid a heavy price for it. "We are a young team. We don't have the experience and played against the best club in Asia. They have so many national players."
On the return leg, he said: "This will be a big and good challenge. We will play for victory."
Meanwhile, Al Ain coach Zlatko Dalic said it was a good result for the team.
"El Jaish have a very strong team, but we scored a third goal. The first half was great for our side. We did everything what we wanted to do in the middle. We scored two goals and we had a great result."
But he insisted that the job was not over yet.
"We have just finished the first half and everything is open for the second half in Doha. I am happy with my players."
He also revealed that Ibrahim Diaky, Mohammed Fayez, Saeed Al Katheeri were all injured and hence were not part of the scheme of things.
"In one month, when we play the second game, we will be more ready," he added. 
Omar Abdulrahman appreciates Lamouchi's praise
Omar Abdulrahman felt proud after being praised by El Jaish coach Sambri Lamouchi and said it has boosted his morale.
"This is a great to be appreciated by a coach like Lamouchi. I am very proud. This is indeed a great motivation for me to do better in upcoming games," he said.
On the win over the Qatar side, he said: "We have achieved the desired target. My aim is to win the game and qualify to the finals. From now, we will work more to win the game in Qatar."
He said the team cannot be complacent. "We respect our competitor as they have the ability to win. We will give our best when we got to Qatar."
He also thanked fans from Al Ain and other UAE teams for their support.
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com