|
Dubai: In the 1989-90 season, striker Salim Jawhar led his club Ajman to the First Division Football League for the first time in the club's history. They stayed in the top flight for two seasons.
The 1990-91 season could not be completed due to the Gulf war. However, at the end of the 1991-92 season, they were relegated and Jawhar joined Al Ain Club. Until May 9, 2008, Ajman were languishing in the Second Division.
Meanwhile, Jawhar was back with Ajman after almost 16 years and at the end of the 2007-08 season, he once again helped the team return to the top flight.
Jawhar had signed for Al Ain on a Dh1 million contract which was quite a big deal in those days. His stay in Al Ain was very successful as he won all the titles with the club: First Division League, President's Cup, FA Cup, GCC Clubs' Championships and the Asian Champions League. Winning the Asian Champions League in 2003 was a historic moment for Jawhar who received the trophy, as the skipper of Al Ain, from the AFC president.
Jawhar, in fact, had retired three years ago. However, when he realised Ajman were in need of him to earn promotion in the current season, he came out of his retirement to lead the team back to the elite league.
The former Al Ain skipper was very pleased and sad at the same time when Ajman were promoted to the top flight after beating Masafi 1-0.
'Very happy'
"I'm very happy with Ajman winning promotion back to the top flight, but I am sad as well because I couldn't didn't play in our last league match against Masafi. I thought the coach would give me a chance to play in the last few minutes of the game and allow me to celebrate this historic moment with my teammates. But he didn't let me in, although we were leading 1-0 at that time," said Jawhar.
"I think 20 years is enough for me and I have to quit. I will keep myself away from football," said Jawhar about a career that saw him win 16 titles (14 with Al Ain and 2 with Ajman).
Shaikh Ammar Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman, who attended the last match against Masafi, said: "Ajman ought to have won promotion to the First Division long ago.
"We will support the team to help them stay in the top flight and not get relegated at the end of the season."
Lost opportunity
Ajman had lost the opportunity to earn promotion last season when they were defeated by Hatta in their last match.
Now Hatta are back in the Second Division, even as Ajman get ready to play in the first ever professional league in the UAE next season.
"We won promotion to the top flight to stay there and not slip back to the lower tier," said Shaikh Rashid Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, president of Ajman club.
"The first priority will be to strengthen the team with new players from the UAE and foreign countries because the professional league needs skilful players.
"Playing in it next season will be totaly different from playing in the Second Division," he said.
Ajman could have won promotion even before their last match against Masafi had they not drawn too many matches. They drew 11 matches, won 18 and lost just 1 game to finish runners-up with 65 points - 10 less than Second Division champions Al Khaleej.
Ajman striker Diyara of Ivory Coast was the top goalscorer in the Second Division with 44 goals. Diyara broke the recored set by Iraqi striker Razzaq Farhan who had scored 42 goals while turning out for Sharjah in the Second Division in the late 1990s.
|
