Al-Sadd coach Felix Sanchez emphasized the importance of the upcoming match against UAE’s Al-Wasl in the fourth round of the AFC Champions League Elite group stage, scheduled to take place on Monday evening at Zabeel Stadium.
Felix spoke during the pre-match press conference: “We are expecting a tough and strong encounter against Al-Wasl. We currently have 7 points from three matches, and we are progressing steadily and strongly in the Champions League. We aim to continue achieving these results in the match against Al-Wasl.”
On the addition of Algerian Adam Ounas to the team, Felix said: “Adam Ounas is a good player, and his joining us is a strong addition to the team. We’ll see the possibility of his participation in the match to help us in this tough competition.”
Regarding the readiness of Youcef Atal after recovering from his injury, he stated: “Youcef has trained with the team, and he’s ready. He will be available for the match tomorrow.”
The Al-Sadd coach also expressed his happiness over Akram Afif’s win as the 2023 AFC Player of the Year, saying: “Akram’s victory is no surprise to us. He is a top player, one of the best in Asia, and his win is well-deserved. I am happy for him, and the entire Al-Sadd family is delighted for him. I hope he can support us strongly in tomorrow’s match.”
Finally, regarding the impact of the packed schedule of local and Asian matches on the team, he said: “The competition schedule has been in place since the beginning of the season. We have professional players, and we are accustomed to this situation in competitions and ready for it.”