Al Duhail First Football Team Head Coach Djamel Belmadi emphasized the importance and difficulty of the upcoming clash versus the Saudi Side Al Ahly Jeddah. The match is set for tomorrow, Monday, as part of the Round of 16 in the AFC Champions League Elite.

Belmadi opened his remarks during the pre-match press conference held this morning, stating:

“Things are going well so far regarding the team lineup. As you all know, Marco Verratti is absent and will not participate in the match.”

He added:
“Since the start of the season, Tuta played in our first match in the AFC Champions League playoffs against Sepahan (Iran), then suffered an injury and required a period of treatment. We realized then that we were embarking on a very long journey, and the season would be extremely long, but we are very happy to have him here at this difficult stage of the season.”

Belmadi concluded his statements by saying:
“As I previously emphasized, we are fully aware of Al Ahly specific qualities; we know their strengths as well as their weaknesses. Therefore, we are determined to move forward, deliver a great performance, and qualify. Of course, as I mentioned at the beginning, it will not be easy because we are playing against the defending champions of this tournament. They are going through a good period, even if they didn’t get the desired results in their last match, they are generally in a good position. However, in the end, I want to stress the strength of the opponent, but I have full confidence in our work and, above all, confidence in the players.”