Ferreira: We will continue with our philosophy, the pressure is beneficial

Al-Sadd head coach Jesualdo Ferreira spoke of the difficulty and importance of his side’s upcoming clash against Al-Khor in Round 22 of the Qatar Stars League. The game is set to be played at the Al-Khor Stadium on Friday.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Ferreira said: “The Al-Khor match is more difficult than the previous matches for us. The upcoming matches are difficult and decisive. Al-Khor are not in a good position and this will make us play with a winning mentality especially as it is imperative for us as league leaders to play for the win.”

The boss went on to add: “I don’t have any fear of slipping up in the coming matches. We face big and small teams in the league. The big matches are open and there is ease in playing but it is completely different against smaller teams, where there is less space and it is difficult to play.”

Ferreira also said: “We have not lost to the small teams this season. There are five finals ahead of us and I am only focused on my team in order to get the win and get closer to the league title.”

Speaking about the return of Ibrahim Majid and Hamid Ismail, Ferreira said: “I am very happy with their return and I don’t know the reasons for their suspensions to begin with. I don’t know the reasons for their return from suspension either. Definitely, the both of them will add strength to the team in the coming matches.”

As for the pressure on the team in the current period, he said: “The pressure at the moment is good and beneficial for the players because it is a product of our keenness to win the league. This is a test for the players. We have stars who have enough experience to deal with this pressure. We must have complete focus in the coming matches in order to win.”

Ferreira went on to conclude by saying: “The road is difficult for Lekhwiya and Al-Sadd in the next coming 5 matches. It will come down to injuries and suspensions for the players. We need to focus completely. The team that plays in the Champions League alongside the league will have better opportunities to improve its performance.”