King Salman Cup for Arab Clubs 2023..The final round of the group stage begins with 4 matches
Tomorrow, Wednesday, the last round of the group stage of King Salman Cup for Arab Clubs 2023 will start with 4 matches, in Abha, Al-Baha and Taif.
In the first group, Al-Ittihad from Saudi Arabia and the Iraqi team Al-Shorta will meet at King Fahd Sports City in Taif, and in the same group, in Al-Bahah, a match will be held between the Tunisian teams Esperance and Sfaxien.
In Abha, the Saudi team Al-Hilal will face the Moroccan team Wydad, at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium, while the Qatari team Al-Sadd will play with Al-Ahli Tripoli from Libya, at Damac Club stadium.
After the end of the 4 matches, the teams that qualified for the quarter-finals from the two groups will be determined, noting that 3 teams have secured their qualification so far, which are the Saudi team Al-Ittihad, the Emirati team Al-Wahda, and the Moroccan team Raja.
Coaches press conferences
Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus said during the press conference: “Our preparation for the match was excellent. We know the value of this match because it will be crucial for us and we seek to qualify for the next round”.
Al-Hilal player Salem Al-dawsari said: “We worked to correct the mistakes with the coach, and the match does not accept anything other than winning, and it is an opportunity to correct the path for us. Without a doubt, we strive to achieve victory and qualify for the next round”.
Emmanuel Avanti, the assistant coach of Al-Sadd, spoke about the last round, saying: “Another match also has its different calculations, and we will work to analyze the opponent and play with a strategy that differs from Al-Hilal match, and our goal is to win qualification”.
Roman Sais, Al-Sadd player, said: “It is a difficult match, and we seek to win to ensure qualification, and we must respect Al-Ahli Tripoli, because the chances of crossing to the next round are available for all teams in the group”.
Tariq Jaraya, coach of Al-Ahli Tripoli, spoke about their honoring for the Libyan football through their presence in this strong tournament, adding: “We presented distinguished levels during this tournament although we are into a difficult group, and we strive to achieve victory and ensure qualification despite the many absences and injuries in the team”.
Muhammad Ghanudi, the player of Al-Ahli Tripoli, spoke about the strong spirit in which the players showed, adding: “We seek continued success in this group against a strong opponent”.
Wydad coach Adel Ramzi spoke about their preparations for Al-Hilal match, stressing his respect for the Saudi team and the great technical capabilities of his players, and about the team’s improvement in general day after day, stressing: “We seek to qualify and I trust the players’ ability to win”.
Moein Chaabani, coach of Esperance, described his team’s match against Sfaxien as difficult, stressing that his opponent is a respectable team and plays without pressure after losing hope of qualifying for the quarter-finals.
He said: “Our fate is not in our hands, but we will focus on our match against Sfaxien, which will not be easy, and we will play until the last minute and will not look at the other match between the Al-Ittihad and Al-Shorta, and we will give everything we have, and our goal is to win, especially since we are fully prepared”.
On the other hand, Moez bin Sharifia, the player of Esperance, expressed his admiration for the level of organization of the tournament, indicating that this matter is not surprising for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Union of Arab Football Associations.
He said: “We adhere to the opportunity to qualify as long as it exists, and we will play for the last moment, and Esperance includes new elements trying to prove themselves in the main list, and they can do so under the guidance of the coach, and our level is improving from one match to another, and a difficult match awaits us against Sfaxien and we will strive to achieve victory even though this match has Its special character, the fact that the two teams are Tunisians”.
For his part, Anis Al-Jarbi, coach of Sfaxien, praised the organization of King Salman Cup for Arab clubs, stressing that this is not surprising for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is an honorable matter for all Arabs, hoping that such an organization will continue in the upcoming tournaments.
About Esperance match, he said: “It is a Tunisian clasico between two great teams. We hope that it will appear at a level that reflects what Tunisian football has reached, and we will try to provide a performance worthy of the name of Sfaxien, and we are fully prepared for the match”.
Mohamed Saleh, the player of Sfaxien, stressed that they are fully prepared for the match, and aspire to present an honorable level, despite losing hope of qualifying.
He said: “Esperance is a difficult team and has good elements, but we have a great desire to get out of the championship with a victory, and this will be achieved through the technical vision of the coach, the spirit of the players and their level on the field”.
On the other hand, Sven Vandenbroek, CR Belouizdad coach, explained that they lost two matches, and this will not make them qualify for the quarter-finals in King Salman Cup for Arab Clubs, adding: “But in the next match, we will strive to win in order to make a mark for us in this event, and I know that Kuwait team is wonderful”.
He added: “In the first match, we played with one formation, and in the second match, with another, and in the third round we will combine them, and I will not hide from you that we have benefited in this tournament in getting to know the players to find the ideal formation in the upcoming tournaments”.
The player Ezz El-Din Doukha said: “Losing the first match reduced our chances of qualifying, and in the next match we will aspire to win even if we do not qualify. The important thing is that we have a presence and imprint in this tournament”.
Kuwait coach Boris Bonyak said: “In the next match, we will play against the Algerian champion, It is true that neither team qualified, but the match will have a special character. We will try to win, collect the 3 points and gain confidence”.
About his expectation of the champion, he said: “My expectation is difficult about the champion, and most of the followers of this tournament did not expect the loss of Al Hilal. All the teams that qualified for the quarter-finals have a chance to be crowned with the title”.
Mishary Al-Enezi, Kuwait player, confirmed that they have a high-level technical staff and qualified players, adding: “Our ambition was to reach the last point in this tournament, and God willing, our last match will be at a good level”.
Pitso Mosimani, coach of Al-Wahda, said that he will start studying how the teams that qualified for the quarter-finals play, indicating that his team is developing from one match to another and will appear more strongly, starting from the knockout rounds.
Khaled Al-Zaabi, the player of Al-Wehda, stressed the importance of the match of the third round, adding: “We are suffering from a state of exhaustion at the present time, and we will face a strong team, but God willing, we will achieve victory”.
Raja coach Joseph Zinbauer said: “The match is different and determines the first and second places. We played against difficult teams in our group, and all the players and coaches are very good”.
He added, “We have a focus on competition and we know that Al-Wahda is a great team, and I have not decided the issue of the starting line-up for the match yet”.
Yousri Bouzouk, Raja player, said: “The match is difficult for us. Praise be to God, we won the previous matches and got 6 points, and God willing, we will perform the same in the next matches and lead the group”.
For his part, Nuno Santo, coach of Al-Ittihad, said: “We will play a difficult match against a strong and organized defensive opponent, who has qualified players in the back line, and is good at playing on counter-attacks quickly, and the striker’s movements are also very distinctive. We observed the opponent and analyzed its level carefully. in this match we will compete very hard to continue to develop as a team”.
He added, “Fabinho has become an official player for us, but he will not be able to participate in this tournament. He will participate with us in training normally to start integrating with the group, get to know the rhythm of work here, and get to know his new colleagues, before the start of the new season, we are receiving a great player”.
He continued: “N’Golo Kante is currently in a better condition, and we will try to assess his condition in today’s training session, to discuss the possibility of participating in the match, and we will also hold a meeting with the medical staff to find out his position regarding Al-Shorta match specifically, but it is almost certain that he will be available for the quarter-finals”.
He concluded by saying: “Tarek hamed suffered a very bad injury, an injury that disturbed us all after a strong and violent intervention against him, but fortunately for him he is in a better condition during the current time, and we are waiting for him to fully recover, and we will never risk him, and we know that he is a player with an exceptional personality, and he will return to participate naturally once he is 100% ready”.
Madallah Al-Olayan, Al-Ittihad player, said: “We will be fully prepared to play the match, and we will achieve a positive result as an extension of the first two rounds. Al-Shorta is an organized team, and we must apply the coach’s thought to achieve victory and qualify for the next round with a full score”.
Ahmed Salah, coach of Al-Shorta, explained: “Al-Ittihad match is very difficult. We played two strong rounds recently, and the physical factor will play a big role in the final round”.
He added: “I have great confidence in the players’ capabilities, to present strong levels like the one we showed against Sfaxien and Esperance. We will stand on the readiness of all the elements in today’s training session. I am well aware that we will suffer on the physical level in front of Al-Ittihad, especially in the second half, and we will try to distribute the effort over the 90 minutes.
On the other hand, Alaa Al-Zahra, Al-Shorta player, said: “Al-Ittihad match is very important, but it is no less difficult than the matches against Esperence and Sfaxien. We hope to do our best in this match. We are all determined to present levels worthy of Iraqi football and Al-Shorta”.
He concluded: “We focus on each match separately, and we will develop the appropriate plan and we will focus 100% on the field. Al-Ittihad match is decisive. We need one point in order to pass to the next round. I was injured recently, but I thank the medical staff of the team that made great efforts with me in the past period”.