Emmanuel Infante, the assistant coach of Al-Sadd, expressed his disappointment following the team’s 2-4 loss to Iraq’s Al-Shorta in the quarter-final match of the King Salman Club Cup.
During the post-match press conference, Infante shared his thoughts, “We had control of the ball in the first half, but after Al-Shorta’s equalizing goal, our confidence took a hit compared to the beginning of the match. They capitalized on counter-attacks and secured the victory.”
He added, “I must admit, being at the beginning of the season, we made several mistakes. In these tightly contested matches, the smallest details matter, and our errors contributed to Al-Shorta scoring 4 goals despite our strong start.”
Regarding the absence of Moroccan defender Romain Saiss from the starting lineup, Infante explained, “Saiss isn’t fully ready to play at the moment and needs some more time to reach full readiness.”
The Portuguese coach concluded, “We aren’t fully prepared at this point, especially during the team’s preparation phase. Nevertheless, we take pride in our players and have great confidence in their abilities as we approach the start of the season with full determination.”
