Al-Wasl's French coach Bruno Metsu hailed the ability of Mahmoud Abdel-Razek, aka Shikabala, to settle games "at any time" after the Egyptian shined in his first few games with the UAE side.

The 26-year-old, who joined Al-Wasl on a one-year loan deal from Cairo giants Zamalek this summer, caught attention with some superb performances that yielded two assists and one goal so far.

"Shikabala is very talented and he could make the difference with one touch," Metsu told a news conference Wednesday.

The former Senegal coach also said he was happy with the harmony between Shikabala and Uruguayan striker Emiliano Alfaro upfront.

"There is something common between the two players; I'm so glad with their cooperation," he added.

Shikabala is often criticised for failing to live up to his potential due to constant disciplinary problems that prompted Zamalek to loan him out.

He was recently called up by Egypt coach Bob Bradley for two friendly games against Congo and Tunisia in the UAE.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Al-Naeimy, member of the UAE league's executive committee, believes the presence of some high-profile foreign players, including Shikabala, Alfaro and Al-Ain's Ghanaian striker Asamoah Gyan, will have a positive impact on the domestic competition.

"I am very happy with the strong performances of foreigner players who are shining in the league," Al-Naeimy told Emirati newspaper Al-Emirat Al-Youm.

"Those players will greatly benefit their team and the competition."

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