Al Ain FC first team manager, Ahmed Al Shamsi, confirmed that the team will return later to the details of the match against Qatari Al Sadd, which was held the day before yesterday and ended in a 1-1 draw at the start of the AFC Champions League for the elite, noting that “Al Zaeem” is currently preparing for the anticipated match with New Zealand’s Auckland City team, next Sunday, in the first round of the Intercontinental Cup.
Al Shamsi stressed in his interview with “Emarat Al Youm” that their lack of knowledge of their New Zealand competitor will not make them underestimate his capabilities, as he put it, recalling the difficult scenario that “Al Zaeem” had experienced against New Zealand’s Wellington during its participation in the Club World Cup in the 2018 edition, when the team found itself behind by three goals in the first half, and later needed a “remontada” that led the match to penalty kicks, which ended in Al Ain’s favor.
Al Shamsi said: “It is true that we do not know much about it, but in football the decision is made on the field, and this requires the players to implement what the coach asks of them, and for the team to be fully prepared for this match, and to avoid some simple matters. In general, our players are very professional, and they realize that the mission requires doubling the effort in order to qualify.”
“At the Club World Cup, Al Ain faced a difficult scenario and qualified in the end. In general, in football, you cannot describe a team as obscure, because if you treat it in this way, this obscure team will be the reason for your drowning. It is important to deal with the match throughout the 90 minutes, because the competitor is fierce, especially since it is the best team in its continent, which is why we must show it all respect. We must also not forget that we are the champions of the Asian continent, and we must prove this by qualifying for the next round,” added the Al Ain team manager.
Al Shamsi stressed that Al Ain players, with their sufficient experience, know how to separate the match against Al Sadd from the upcoming match against Auckland City of New Zealand, so as not to affect the performance next Sunday, by distributing effort and thinking. He said: “The Al Sadd match is over and we will return to its details later, specifically before the match against Al Gharafa of Qatar in the second round of this tournament, as it is preceded by two matches that are no less important than it in the match against Auckland and Al Wasl.”
Al Shamsi pointed out that the upcoming mission against Auckland requires the availability of some factors in order to decide it and obtain the qualification card, and he explained, saying: “We will face a very difficult mission. This requires focus from the players, in addition to the presence of the fans to support the team, in order for the advancement to the next round to be ours.”
Regarding the team’s injury situation, after the match against Al Sadd of Qatar witnessed two forced substitutions with the exit of the duo Mohammed Abbas and Yahya Nader, Al Shamsi said: “Abbas’s injury is minor, and may require him to rest, while we will wait for the results of Yahya Nader’s medical examinations.”
The Al Ain team manager apologized to the large crowd that attended the Al Sadd match after the draw, saying: “We want to repay the fans something, even if it is a small amount, from the great debt we owe to them that cannot be repaid.”
Regarding the reasons for the draw, Al Shamsi said: “There are very simple details that affected the result, but the players played the match with spirit, desire and enthusiasm, as they gave a strong performance in the match, and they were not blessed. Sometimes the hard worker has a share, and sometimes not. In general, the draw with Al Sadd is not the end of the journey.”
• Abbas’s injury is minor and may require him to rest. We will wait for Yahya Nader’s tests.
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