Al Wasl goalkeeper Khalid Al Senani confirmed that he received an unexpected surprise before facing Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan in the first round of the AFC Champions League Elite matches in the group stage of the West Asia region, after he discovered that the dimensions of the penalty area had been reduced in Pakhtakor Central Stadium in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent.
Al-Senani said in press statements after the match that took place the day before yesterday, and ended with Al-Wasl’s victory over Pakhtakor by one goal to none, scored by Moroccan defender Sofiane Bouftini, that: “While undergoing basic training on the match field, I was surprised with the goalkeeper coach that the dimensions of the penalty area were smaller than the normal area, as it was less by about two meters, which contributed to me training differently on the new area of the penalty area.”
He added: “The goalkeeper coach asked me to be more careful to avoid catching the ball outside the penalty area, especially since the natural dimensions that a goalkeeper is accustomed to differ in terms of dealing with crosses or counterattacks.”
In contrast, Al Wasl goalkeeper spoke about the victory in the first round of the group stage, saying: “It is a very important victory for us, as the beginning is always important, and there is no better thing than achieving victory outside our stadium, which gives us a strong morale boost before playing the upcoming matches.”
He continued: “We have a long season, during which we will participate in many local tournaments, in addition to the AFC Champions League for the elite.”
He added: “What made the match more difficult was that the condition of the pitch was not good, and it negatively affected the players’ performance. Therefore, coach Milos Milovic fully understood this point, and that the players could not play in the way that Al Wasl is accustomed to in local matches.”
He continued: “We did not focus on the tactical and technical aspects that Al Wasl plays with, and our focus was more on the ‘second ball’, which is how to put pressure on the opposing team’s players, get the ball, and not give Pakhtakor players opportunities to build attacks.”
Khalid Al-Senani pointed out that the victory in the AFC Champions League enhances the players’ focus before returning to participate in local tournaments, after the international break, and the national team playing two matches in the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. He said: “We will return to local tournaments with a moral advantage, as we will play a group of important and difficult matches, and it was important for the team to win the continental tournament, so that we can maintain a good start to the new season.”
“As for the difference in the way of playing in the AFC Champions League matches, he said: “Continental matches require a lot of experience, especially when the team plays away from home, where the focus is on playing ‘easy but difficult’ and how to deal with difficult situations. As I mentioned, the pitch was not good and did not help the players pass the ball easily, so any mistake made by any player would contribute to goals being scored against us.”
He continued: “We knew how to handle the situation and achieve the most important thing by getting the three points.”
Al-Sanani concluded his statements by thanking Al Wasl fans, saying: “Honestly, Al Wasl fans played a big role in motivating and supporting the players during the match. I thank them for the great effort they made and for travelling behind the team in this important match. We dedicate the victory to them, and we hope to continue to perform well in the next stage, which requires great effort from all players. For us, the fans are our biggest supporters and motivators to do everything we can to make them happy.”
Milos: Al Wasl could have scored more goals
Serbian coach Milos Milojevic expressed his satisfaction with Al Wasl’s performance against Pakhtakor in the first round of the group stage matches in the AFC Champions League, stressing that “the Emperor” could have scored more goals and won by a greater score than the 1-0 victory.
Milos said in a press conference after the match, the day before yesterday, that “the match was good, and both teams played in the best possible way. On our part, we started the match well, and we had many opportunities, but we were not successful in exploiting them and scoring goals in the first half.”
Al Wasl motivates the “Emperor” fans before the “Derby”
Al Wasl quickly closed the file of its match against Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan in the AFC Champions League for the elite, and published, yesterday, a motivational message on its account on the social media platform “X” to the fans of the “Emperor”, stressing that the team is waiting for an anticipated match against Al Nasr in the “derby”, which requires the presence of the fans in large numbers at Zabeel Stadium.
The club stated: “Gold fans, you do not need an invitation or a reminder. On Saturday, we are waiting for you in Zabeel towards another mission.”
Tickets for the Al Wasl and Al Nasr match in the fourth round of the ADNOC Professional League are available on the league’s match tickets website.
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