Saad Al-Shehri, the technical director of the first football team of Al-Ettifaq Club, expressed his great happiness with the valuable victory that his team achieved over its counterpart Al-Ittihad, with a result of one goal to nil, in the strong match that brought them together within the competitions of the sixteenth round of the Saudi Professional League, which was hosted by Al-Inma Stadium.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Al-Shehri provided a detailed technical analysis of the game, explaining that the match's unfolding scenario was anticipated and clear to the coaching staff. He said, "We had no choice but to play with this high level of tactical discipline against a team of Al-Ittihad's caliber, a team with exceptional and impressive attacking options. We were well aware that Al-Ittihad's main threat and attacking strength lay on their right flank, and therefore we based our plan on that.".
The Al-Ettifaq coach elaborated on the defensive plan, saying, "Throughout the training sessions leading up to the match, we focused intensively on how to close down the right flank and prevent Al-Ittihad from exploiting it, and we succeeded brilliantly. Securing victory on a difficult pitch against such a fierce and strong opponent is a remarkable achievement for the team." Al-Shehri also highlighted the team's psychological and morale boost, emphasizing that the players displayed a strong and positive response to compensate the fans for their previous loss against Al-Khaleej, reflecting their maturity and desire to get back on track.
Al-Shehri concluded his remarks by addressing the challenges the team faced before the match, specifically the significant absences, saying: "Facing Al-Ittihad is the match everyone wants to play, and although we lost the services of influential players like Wijnaldum and Duda, we had great confidence in the entire group that was available. If you want to beat a team like Al-Ittihad, you have to be at your peak individually and collectively, and we must continue in this manner in the upcoming matches.".
This victory holds particular significance for Al-Ettifaq amidst the fierce competition in the Roshan League this season. Defeating one of the top four clubs (Al-Ittihad) provides a tremendous morale boost and sends a strong message to the other contenders. Furthermore, overcoming the challenges and the team's numerical disadvantage reflects the excellent tactical work being done by Saad Al-Shehri in building a cohesive team system that relies not only on individual talent but also on tactical discipline and a fighting spirit on the pitch.
