Ferreira: It will be a difficult match, Al-Sadd must win

Al-Sadd head coach Jesualdo Ferreira was in no doubts about the difficulty of his side’s upcoming AFC Champions League Round of 16 clash against Al-Ahli.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Ferreira described the match as “like a final” and expressed his desire to progress to the next round.

“This match is like a final because we have reached an advanced stage of the competition. We’re happy to be here,” said the coach. “Al-Ahli have won many trophies and so have Al-Sadd. This makes it a huge match. We will look to win and get a chance to go through to the next round.”

“We need to score goals and not concede any. We consider this as one of the most important matches of the season. We have to win this leg if we are to navigate through this tie, before we go to Jeddah for the return leg. Hopefully, we will be able to perform in the ideal manner.”

Ferreira also called upon Qatari fans to turn up at the stadium to support Al-Sadd. “We call upon all fans, not just Al-Sadd fans, but all the Qatari fans to attend the game and support us in this crucial match, which is very important for Qatari football. It is important that Al-Sadd reach the quarterfinal. We need to go through this togther and qualify, and this requires the efforts of everyone, be it players on the pitch or fans in the stands.”

Asked about the effect of the absence of key players such as Pedro Miguel, the Al-Sadd coach said: “I don’t think it will have a big effect because we have missed many players before. We are prepared for this match with the available players who are capable of producing the result and performance that we aim for.”

Finally, Ferreira also replied to a question on the difference between Al-Sadd’s home and away matches, with the Wolves being considerably better at home. “There is a difference between the current period and the period which just got over. In the group stage, we lost six points. We faced a lot of problems with injuries and suspensions, and this made us deal with the matches according to those situations. However, in the Round of 16, the matches will be a matter of life and death. We will be required to win and not draw.”