Ferreira: Deserved win, happy with the team’s improvement

Al-Sadd head coach Jesualdo Ferreira was a delighted man at the post-match press conference following his side’s 4-0 win over Al-Gharafa in the QNB Stars League on Thursday.

Addressing the media, Ferreira said: “As I predicted earlier, it was a tough match. In the first half, Al-Gharafa were difficult and defiant. Al-Sadd played very well and dominated possession. In the second half, Al-Gharafa were not as strong and we managed to get the four-goal win. We also had many chances to make it six or seven.”

“Teams have ups and downs. It was difficult for Al-Gharafa in the second half but their performance was very good in the first half.”

As for the team’s improvement, Ferreira said: “I am very happy with the improvement in the team’s level during the last two games. For me, it was important to correct the errors of the first half. Thus, we were able to control the attack completely in the second half. This is the fourth consecutive clean sheet for us and this is important to know the strength of the defence.”

Asked about the competition for the title, the coach said that Al Duhail are on top “right now.”

“We are in a battle and I am sad that we dropped two points against Al-Markhiya.”

He concluded by saying: “I am also very happy with the return of the big players such as Hamid Ismail and Abdelkarim Hassan. They know the team well and they blended into the team quickly. The team has improved with their entry. We scored this many goals against Al-Sailiya and Al-Gharafa because our performance was very good, despite playing without a proper striker. Khoukhi played in his preferred midfield position today and he gave a good display alongside Yasser Abubakar.”