Al-Taawoun repeated its victory in the first leg over Al-Faisaly of Jordan, with another victory in the return leg in Buraidah 3-1, in the AFC Champions League 2 competitions, ensuring its passage to the round of 16 stage of the tournament two rounds before the end of the group stage.
Al-Taawoun regained the lead in the third group with 10 points, and had secured qualification after Oman’s Al-Nahda stumbled against Al-Rayyan of Qatar 2-0.
The brilliant Abdul Razzaq Hamdallah scored a brace in the second half, after Parfait Guiajon opened the scoring near the end of the first half, leading Al-Taawoun to victory over Al-Faisaly, who benefited from an own goal scored by Mohammed Al-Saadi in the 58th minute. Al-Faisaly's balance froze at three points in third place, while Al-Nahda's exit was confirmed at the bottom of the standings with one point.
Abdullah Al-Khatib, Al-Ettifaq player, confirmed that his team’s ambitions in the Gulf Champions Club Championship do not stop at achieving victories, but rather extend to competing for the title and winning the cup, indicating that the players are looking forward to going far in the current version of the tournament.
Al-Khatib said, in statements to Asharq Al-Awsat, after Al-Ettifaq’s victory over Ajman of the United Arab Emirates with two goals to none: “I congratulate Al-Ittifaq fans for this victory, and we look forward during the current season to reaching advanced stages in the Gulf Championship, and we dream of achieving the title and being crowned with the cup, God willing.”
He added: “We have 4 matches remaining, and we will work to win them all, and continue our journey in the tournament in a way that achieves the aspirations of Al-Ettifaq fans.”
Regarding his joining the Saudi national team, according to what Al-Akhdar’s Greek coach, Denis, announced today (Wednesday), Al-Khatib said: “This is an honor. One aspires to represent the national team. Whether you perform 100 percent or not 100 percent, you will sacrifice for this slogan.”
Samer Al-Mashal, President of the Saudi Al-Ittifaq Club, revealed the possibility that they will face some financial difficulties during the coming period, despite the fact that there is no current crisis related to players’ salaries, stressing the club’s management’s ability to deal with financial challenges, while stressing that competing for the Gulf Champions League title for clubs and reserving a qualifying seat for the Asian participations represent the team’s most prominent goals during the current season.
Al-Meshal said, in statements to the media following Al-Ittifaq’s victory over Ajman, UAE: “We congratulate Al-Ittifaq fans for this well-deserved victory. The Gulf Championship is of great interest to us, and we seek to compete for its title, and the players gave an outstanding performance despite the great deficiency that the team suffers from, and the most important thing is that we succeeded in obtaining the three points, and we look forward to providing the best during the next stage.”
Regarding the club’s financial situation and the file of players’ salaries, Al-Meshal explained that there is no crisis at the present time, but he did not rule out the emergence of some difficulties soon, saying: “Currently there is no crisis related to salaries, but we may face some problems during the coming period. This is not the first time we have dealt with such circumstances, and we have experience in how to overcome them and find appropriate solutions.”
The president of Al-Ettifaq indicated that the club’s management is working to achieve a balance between financial capabilities and sporting ambitions, stressing that the club has a group of young talents that represent an important pillar for its future.
He added: “We are capable of managing the club and overcoming difficulties, and we have distinguished young talents, and we may sometimes be forced to transfer some of them to other clubs for financial reasons, but with everyone’s unity we can overcome the challenges, especially since we achieve advanced positions compared to clubs that outperform us with large financial differences.”
Regarding the developments in the issue of confronting Iraqi Erbil, Al-Mashal confirmed that the file is still being considered by the competent authorities, and the club has not yet received any official response regarding it.
He said: “The matter is currently with the relevant authorities, who are the decision-makers, and we have not received any response yet.” We are waiting for what will be issued, and we are confident that the rules and regulations will be implemented, and in light of the decision, we will determine the next step.”
The head of the agreement appreciated the support the club received from the Ministry of Sports and the Saudi Football Federation since the beginning of the case, stressing the importance of integrating efforts between Saudi sports authorities.
He added: “The Saudi Football Federation and the Ministry of Sports have not been negligent with us at all since the letter was submitted to the Gulf Federation, and we all represent the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and we work together as one hand.”
Regarding the injury of player Ryan Messi, Al-Mashal admitted that the injury appears relatively severe, without confirming its nature or whether it is related to the cruciate ligament.
He explained: “His injury is somewhat severe, but with regard to its nature and whether it is in the cruciate ligament, we do not want to reveal all the details at the present time, due to the competition with other clubs, and the full picture regarding his condition will become clear soon.”
Speaking about the team’s ambitions during the current season, Al-Meshal stressed that Al-Ettifaq management is looking forward to achieving results that are commensurate with the aspirations of the club’s fans, whether at the local or Gulf level.
He said: “Our goal this season is to achieve a qualifying position to participate in the Asian Championships, in addition to winning the Gulf Championship title, and God willing, we will see a better and stronger agreement during the coming period.”
Al-Meshal sent a special message to Al-Ettifaq fans, during which he asked them to continue supporting the team and to attend in large numbers in the stands, stressing that their support represents an essential factor in motivating the players.
He said: “The attendance and support of the fans is the main driver for the players and the team, and we always need them. We know that Al-Ittifaq’s fan base is much larger than the numbers currently attending, and we hope to see the stands filled in the upcoming matches.”
The President of Al-Ettifaq concluded his speech by emphasizing that the club is continuing to work to overcome the technical and financial challenges and maintain its competitiveness, considering that the next stage requires the combined efforts of the management, players and fans to achieve the desired goals.
