Gyan to battle Yaya Toure in UAE

Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan will go up against the likes of Yaya Toure and Vincent Kompany as Al Ain prepare to face off with Manchester City at the newly built Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.

The exhibition game is scheduled for May 15 to outdoor the 25,000-seat state-of-the-art stadium in the UAE.

The game was originally planned to take place in January to mark the opening of the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium but Manchester City could not make it due to domestic commitments.

The chairman of the Board of Al Ain Shaikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Khaled Al Nahyan said it will be an unforgettable night.

“The Hazza bin Zayed Stadium is one of the most outstanding sporting structures in the Middle East and the coming together of stars from Al Ain alongside Manchester City is guaranteed to be an exciting night for all UAE football fanatics,” Shaikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Khaled Al Nahyan, said in a statement.

“This is an amazing time for Al Ain Football Club and for its supporters across the region. Al Ain FC is traditionally thought of as the home of UAE football and now we play our matches at the perfect venue to live up to that reputation. And to have Manchester City as our guests is a wonderful step. We look forward to this match,” he added.

Meanwhile, Ferran Soriano, the Manchester City CEO, said that they were delighted with the opportunity and were looking forward to the trip.

“Manchester City has a passionate and dedicated supporter base in Abu Dhabi, the UAE and the wider region, and we are delighted to have been offered the opportunity to play Al Ain in this exhibition game as our season comes to a close,” said Soriano.

“It is an honour for us to be part of such an important and prestigious occasion at the magnificent Hazza bin Zayed Stadium. We are all extremely excited about the trip,” Soriano added.

The Hazza bin Zayed Stadium is one of the most advanced sporting arenas with sophisticated design features that provide fans with outstanding lines of sight to the pitch, and superior technical and hospitality facilities.

It covers 45,000 square metres, with a height of 50 metres and hosts 3,000 premium seats, one of the highest ratios of premium seating in the world for football stadia. There is seating allocated for spectators with special needs and separate gates and areas dedicated to ladies and families.