Al-Sadd coach Razvan Lucescu has stressed the importance of the upcoming match against Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli in Matchday 4 of the AFC Champions League Elite, underlining the team’s determination to secure victory and remain firmly in contention in the competition.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Lucescu said: “We fully understand the importance of this match and are working to prepare ourselves in the best possible way. Our entire focus is on winning, as that is the only way to continue our campaign in the competition with strength.”
He added: “We are thinking only about how to win. We want to regain our ability to compete and continue our journey in Asia. We are improving from one match to the next, and our focus is always on the next game.”
The Romanian coach continued: “I do not see a significant difference between the team’s level in the domestic league and in the Asian competition. However, the congested fixture schedule has clearly affected our campaign, and we have also been unlucky in several matches. We still have five matches remaining in the AFC Champions League Elite, and our chances of qualifying remain alive. We must hold on to that opportunity and fight to achieve our objective.”
Meanwhile, Al-Sadd goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham acknowledged the difficulty of the upcoming encounter against Al-Ahli, noting that the team understands its current position in the competition and is determined to turn things around and secure its first victory.
“ The match against Al-Ahli will be difficult and highly competitive. We know that our position in the competition is not good, but we will be as well prepared as possible to secure our first victory and collect the points,” Barsham said.
He added: “We have played some tough matches recently in both domestic and Asian competitions, and we understand the scale of the challenges ahead. However, we will continue to work hard to deliver our best and demonstrate our abilities and potential.”
