Ibrahim: Pleased with Qadsia's performance against Fortis
Mohammed Ibrahim praises Qadsia's performance against Fortis, while Mohammed Abdulnabi focuses on correcting Al-Arabi's mistakes ahead of the match against Esteghlal.
Translated by Qiyas from الراي — Original source
Al-Qadsiya head coach Mohamed Ibrahim expressed his satisfaction with the performance of the “Yellow” side against Bangladeshi club Fortis at the start of their campaign in the AFC Challenge League.
Al-Qadsiya secured a well-deserved 3-0 victory over their guests on Saturday at the Mohamed Al-Hamad Stadium, opening their Group Third fixtures, which are being held in Kuwait. The win marked their first three points and placed them at the top of the group on goal difference, ahead of Tajikistan’s Regar-TadAZ, who defeated India’s Gokulam 2-1.
Moroccan players Hamza Khaba (20th minute, penalty), Ayoub El Kaabi (71st minute), and Abdullah Mutawaa (90th minute) scored the three goals for Al-Qadsiya. The team will play their next group match against Regar-TadAZ on Tuesday.
In post-match comments, Ibrahim noted that the team performed better in the second half than in the first, despite missing several chances. He said, “The players executed tactical patterns they had rehearsed in training. The match was exhausting due to the weather, and we rotated players and made impactful substitutions in the second half.”
Ibrahim emphasized that he still hopes for better performances from his players in the upcoming two matches. He praised the trio of Muath Al-Zafiri, Khaled Ibrahim, and Cedric Gboho, noting that Gboho was outstanding whether playing in his original central midfield position or when deployed as a center-back.
He added that, in addition to the foreign players, Al-Qadsiya has local talents with great potential who are making clear efforts in training and friendly matches, benefiting from the experience of their teammates and expected to play a significant role in the near future.
Al-Qadsiya will conclude their preparations tomorrow for the crucial Tuesday clash against Regar-TadAZ. A win would largely secure their qualification, while any other result would leave their fate to be decided in the final round, where they will face Indian side Gokulam next Friday.
Ibrahim is expected to finalize the starting lineup based on the fitness of several players, particularly Muath Al-Zafiri, who was injured in the match against the Bangladeshi side.
Meanwhile, Al-Arabi will hold their final training session tomorrow, Monday, ahead of their match against Tajikistan’s Istiklol, the home side, in the second round of Group Two of the AFC Challenge League.
The Tuesday fixture is pivotal for both teams, as both lost their opening matches: Al-Arabi (referred to as “Al-Akhdar” or “The Green”) lost 1-0 to Syria’s Al-Fayhaa, and Istiklol lost 1-0 to Lebanon’s Nejmeh.
Al-Arabi coach Mohamed Abdulnabi is working to correct the mistakes that marred his team’s performance against the Syrian side, while also analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of their opponent based on what he observed in Istiklol’s first match.
