Ferreira: We deserve this result, it will be a boost ahead of the Champions League game

Al-Sadd head coach Jesualdo Ferreira praised his players for an excellent performance after the 4-0 win over Al-Khor in the Emir’s Cup quarterfinals.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Ferreira said: “We were expecting a difficult match but contrary to our expectations, it turned out to be easy and we managed to clinch a 4-0 win.”

The coach added that Al-Sadd had dominated the game and that he had requested his players not to exhaust themselves, especially with the important AFC Champions League clash against Al-Ahli coming up.

“This is a good result that gives us a psychological boost ahead of the coming weeks. Our focus now is on the AFC Champions League game against Al-Ahli. I am disappointed that some of our key players will miss that game due to injury.”

“There was a lot of pressure on the players tonight. The players and I, none of us have forgotten what happened against Al-Duhail (in the Qatar Cup final), and we won’t forget the way we lost the match and the title. Mental fatigue has a huge effect on the players, more than physical fatigue. I hope they can remain focused on the next match.”

“All of us are now thinking about the game against Al-Ahli. Nobody is thinking about the Emir’s Cup semifinal. This is how I will deal with the players in the next two days, so that we will be at our best going into that game.”

When asked about Yasir Abubakar’s performance, Ferreira said: “Yasir is an excellent player and he plays in a number of positions. He always impresses with the team. I really like his performances. He supports the team in all positions and he is a very disciplined player. He is a key member of our team during this season and the next season as well.”

Ferreira concluded the press conference by saying: “Unfortunately, we are missing Ali Asad and Jugurtha Hamroun due to injury. Bounedjah will not play in the semi-final and Pedro won’t play in the AFC Champions League home game. Life at Al-Sadd is difficult because of these. We will do all we can in order to clinch victory.”