Sultan Al Ali (Dubai)
Sheikh Saeed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, may God have mercy on him, has a rich history in Emirates sport, over the years for more than two decades.
On May 13, 1990, he carried a historic decision, at that time appointing Sheikh Saeed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al-Wahda, the new club, which had completed only 6 years as a result of the merger in 1984.
What happened after Sheikh Saeed bin Zayed Al Nahyan assumed the presidency of the Council is history. The unit began to show indicators of competition, and its entry into a strong party in the list of titles and tournaments clubs.
Al-Annabi was able to achieve its first titles in the new era, the 1993-1994 season, in the Federation Cup.
On August 5, 1995, the appointment of Sheikh Saeed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as president of Al Wahda Club was announced, and here the real building phase began that resulted in the first league title in the club’s history in the 1998-1999 season, followed by the second in 2000-2001. And that era witnessed a great challenge between Al-Wahda and Al-Ain, until the name “El Clasico” was given to the summits that brought the two teams together, and the Al-Wahdawi Honor Council was formed on April 21, 2003, and Sheikh Saeed bin Zayed Al Nahyan assumed its presidency.
Al-Wahda successively appeared on the platforms and competition, and left a mark in all local competitions. During the same period, it managed to achieve the first title in the President’s Cup in 2000, in addition to the Federation Cup in 2000-2001, and the Super League in 2001-2002.
Al-Wehda also achieved its third league in 2004-2005. Al-Annabi was not satisfied with the local brilliance during the reign of Sheikh Saeed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, but rather showed unprecedented ferocity in the 2007 AFC Champions League, when he reached the semi-finals of the competition, overtaking Al-Rayyan, Al-Arabi Al-Kuwaiti, and Al-Zawraa of Iraq in the groups, and excluding Al-Hilal Saudi Arabia in the group. Quarterfinals.
This was the biggest achievement of the Emirati clubs at the time, with the exception of Al Ain, which achieved the title and runner-up on two different occasions. At the level of the local championships, Al Wahda faced a period of absence for 4 seasons from gold, despite its presence in the competition continuously, until the 2009-2010 season came, to achieve the title. The fourth league in the history of the club, which led it to the Club World Cup, in which it appeared in an honorable way for Emirati football.
And for this to be the last of the great moments experienced by Al-Wahdawiya during the era of Sheikh Saeed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, may God have mercy on him, which lasted 21 years, in which Al-Wahdawiya achieved 8 titles, including 4 league championships, of which no other has achieved until today, and this period constitutes 53% of the history of The unit’s achievements since its inception, and His Highness Sheikh Diab bin Zayed Al Nahyan assumed the presidency of Al-Wehda Club in 2011.
Sheikh Saeed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, may God have mercy on him, believed from his beginnings in sports that the ambitious youth deserve all attention, and that he must be equipped, so that he can be relied upon in the future. .
And he, may God have mercy on him, at the beginning of his assumption of the chairmanship of the Board of Directors of the unit in 1990, directed the establishment of the annual Zayed International Football Competition for juniors under 16 years old, which is still continuing until now, and reached version No. 20.
A competition that is attended every year to bring together large clubs at the local, continental and international levels, and provides an addition to young players.
As for the stage clubs in the unit, the number of championships in all categories reached a total of 22 championships, including 18 league titles and 4 cups.
bright torch
The year 2003 remains a bright beacon in the history of “Al-Annabi”, in which Sheikh Saeed bin Zayed Al Nahyan inaugurated the Al-Wahda Club Academy, which paved the way for generations and generations that provided the club and national teams with countless talents.
The late Sheikh Saeed bin Zayed Al Nahyan assumed the presidency of the Football Association in November 2001, and directed at that time to renew the blood of the national team, empower youth and give them opportunities.
During his period, the UAE national team reached the Asian play-off stage to obtain a qualifying card for the 2002 World Cup, but it did not succeed in passing the stage, after losing to Iran.
consecutive control
We cannot fail to mention that Al-Wehda U-18 team dominated the league title for 4 consecutive seasons between 2005 and 2009.
The 2009-2010 season is exceptional in the club’s career, in which the first team and the 19- and 17-year-olds achieved the general league titles for each category.
#Saeed #bin #Zayed #man #achievement #supporter #youth #sports