Ferreira: I did not expect this result; I’m proud of the players

Al-Sadd head coach Jesualdo Ferreira said that he did not expect the 2-2 draw that his side played out with Al-Sailiya in the QSL Round 25 game on Thursday.

Speaking to the media after the match, Ferreira said: “We did not expect this result. I spoke earlier about how this match was going to be difficult. I am very proud of the players because they overcame many difficulties but luck just was not working in our favour. Instead, luck worked for Lekhwiya, who scored their second goal in the 96th minute. We created lots of chances but we did not score.”

He added: “I hope luck will be with us in the Cup tournaments. In the first half, we were not good and the players were exhausted. Al-Sailiya deserves this result for the performance they showed throughout the match. In the second half, we were the better side and we dominated but Al-Sailiya succeeded in scoring their second goal, making things difficult for us.”

As for the dip in performance in the first half, Ferreira said: “The match was for 90 minutes but my team played only for 45 minutes. I hope the loss of the league title will be a lesson for the players. Now we need to think about the upcoming tournaments. There were many nervous players today.”

Ferreira went on to conclude: “I congratulate Lekhwiya on winning the league title. I am happy that our team competed for the title until the penultimate round. I am sorry for the points that we lost in the past and now we are being punished for those points.”