Amman — Al-Faisaly’s technical staff, led by Egyptian coach Tarek Mostafa, is working to prepare the players as well as possible, both technically and physically, ahead of a busy month of matches and competitions. The team will play six matches over 22 days four in the Jordan Pro League and two in the AFC Champions League Two in a demanding schedule that will put the Blues to a real test of their technical and physical capabilities and require the highest levels of concentration and effective workload management.
اضافة اعلان
Al-Faisaly will begin this stretch against Al-Salt next Saturday, before hosting Oman’s Al-Nahda on October 14 in the Asian competition. The team will then face Al-Ramtha on October 17, Al-Jazeera on October 23, Saudi Arabia’s Al-Taawoun on October 28 in continental competition, and conclude the month with a tough encounter against Al-Hussein Irbid on October 31.
The schedule presents the coaching staff with a delicate task in managing the squad, particularly as the team will play twice a week for most of the month. This requires maintaining the players’ physical condition, finding the best ways to manage fatigue, rotating the squad carefully and giving opportunities to as many players as possible who are capable of handling the pressure of the matches.
Mostafa will need all of his players during this period, as it will be difficult to rely on the same group throughout the stretch given the short intervals between matches and the quality of the opponents. This makes the bench an important factor in the team’s calculations and gives players an opportunity to prove their ability to take responsibility when their turn comes.
One of the main challenges currently facing Al-Faisaly is the delayed return of the full squad, with several players away on international duty with the senior and Olympic national teams. The squad will not be complete until just three days before the match against Al-Salt, limiting Tarek Mostafa’s time for technical preparation and leaving the coaching staff with the added task of restoring cohesion and preparing the players for the first match of this congested schedule.
Al-Faisaly are currently without several key players in training due to their involvement with the national team: Abdullah Al-Fakhouri, Anas Al-Awadat, Ahmad Al-Arsan, Anas Badawi, Ihsan Haddad and Nour Al-Rawabdeh, along with Olympic team trio Mohammad Haddad, Mohammad Hammadi and Qutaiba Al-Ajalin.
As part of their intensive preparations, Al-Faisaly played a friendly against Al-Baqa’a at the club’s stadium the day before yesterday, winning 1-0 through a goal from striker Rizq Bani Hani.
The coaching staff is also working to manage training loads and monitor the players’ physical condition, while focusing on recovery and managing the short intervals between matches in an effort to prevent injuries and fatigue.
The upcoming period requires Al-Faisaly to approach each match as part of a long race, particularly with limited time between some fixtures. Squad rotation and managing players’ minutes will therefore be among the most important keys to success this month. The period will also reveal the true depth of Al-Faisaly’s squad and the ability of its substitutes to compensate for absences and fatigue. Competing on multiple fronts cannot be sustained with only 11 players; it requires a complete squad capable of maintaining the team’s level regardless of changes to the lineup.
Al-Faisaly currently lead the Jordan Pro League standings after three rounds with seven points, level with Al-Ramtha. They began their campaign with a goalless draw against Al-Wehdat, before beating Duqra 2-0 and Al-Baqa’a 4-0, putting themselves early in the title race.
On the continental front, Al-Faisaly are looking to regain their balance after a 4-3 defeat to Qatar’s Al-Rayyan in their opening AFC Champions League Two match. The game highlighted the team’s attacking strength but also exposed defensive shortcomings that came at a cost, issues the coaching staff will seek to address before the meeting with Al-Nahda.
Al-Faisaly’s next two Asian matches will be played in Amman in front of their home supporters. They will host Al-Nahda on October 14 and Al-Taawoun on October 28. This gives the team the advantage of home support, but also places the responsibility on them to make the most of it.
The club is also continuing its administrative and organizational preparations to host Al-Nahda. Arrangements have been completed for the Omani delegation’s reception, accommodation and transportation, as well as for the match commissioner, referee assessor and officiating team. Locations have also been designated for the general coordination meeting and the press conference involving the Al-Faisaly and Al-Nahda coaches.
National coach Islam Jalal believes Al-Faisaly are entering a difficult but important period, stressing that the team’s ability to handle the demanding schedule will depend on its capacity to rotate players while maintaining their technical and physical readiness at the highest possible level.
“Having a strong and versatile squad will give the coaching staff wider options to meet the demands of each match. The current period is ideal for the coaching staff to prepare the substitutes and injured players,” Jalal told Al-Ghad.
Resource: Al-Ghad. Reporting: Yahya Qtaishat
