Amman: Egyptian coach Tarek Mostafa, head coach of Al-Faisaly, is putting the finishing touches today on the lineup and tactical plan the team will use against Saudi club Al-Ta'awoun, which is scheduled for 9:15 pm tomorrow at Wolves Park Stadium in Buraidah, as part of the fourth round of Group C in the AFC Champions League 2.
اضافة اعلان
Al-Faisaly are holding their final training session at the match venue, amid a mood of focus and high morale. They are seeking to perform differently and return with a positive result that reshuffles their position in the group and boosts their chances of competing for one of the two qualifying places for the knockout stage. The team also wants to make amends after losing 2–0 to Al-Ta'awoun in the fixture between the two sides last week in Amman.
The match carries double importance for the Blues. The group's standings leave no room for further dropped points. A defeat would greatly weaken their chances and could complicate their task in the qualification race, while a win would give them a strong boost and return them to the heart of the competition, especially as the gap in points between the teams still allows the standings to change.
Al-Faisaly are third with 3 points, behind Qatar's Al-Rayyan, who are second with 6 points, and one point behind leaders Al-Ta'awoun. Oman's Al-Nahda are bottom with one point.
Yesterday, Al-Faisaly held a training session. The squad includes: Noureddine Bani Atiyeh, Abdullah Al-Fakhouri, Abdulrahman Al-Talalqa, Hussam Abu Al-Dhahab, Saidou Sembory, Muhannad Khair Allah, Ahmad Abdrabbo, Mohammad Haddad, Anas Badawi, Camilo Saldana, Awn Al-Mahareemeh, Ghaith Al-Madadha, Waseem Rialat, Fadl Hekal, Noureddine Al-Rawabdeh, Jin Ahwa, Salah Al-Yahyai, Majdi Attar, Qutaiba Al-Ajaleen, Anas Al-Awadat, Ahmad Al-Arsan, Malek Allan, Rizq Bani Hani, and Claudio Maradona.
In the final preparations, the coaching staff is focusing on correcting the errors that appeared in the previous match, particularly defensively. It is important to limit the spaces available to Al-Ta'awoun's players and avoid repeating the mistakes that cost the team two goals last time. Tarek Mostafa is also working on choosing the tactical approach suited to the nature of the match, defining the roles required of the players, and monitoring the Saudi side's key players and limiting their danger in attacking transitions, while seizing available chances and looking for more effective attacking solutions.
For this match, Al-Faisaly will be without Ihsan Haddad and Anas Al-Awadat due to injury. Although Al-Awadat is travelling with the team, his absence is significant for the squad's options, forcing the coaching staff to find suitable alternatives and maintain balance across all lines.
Al-Faisaly also hope to benefit from the support of the Jordanian community in Saudi Arabia, which will be in the stands behind the national representative. A number of fans have also insisted on accompanying the team and supporting it on this Asian mission, in the hope that their presence will provide an extra incentive for the players to perform in a manner worthy of the club's name and history.
Today's technical meeting for the match is also scheduled, along with a press conference for the coaches, Egyptian Tarek Mostafa and Serbian Vuk Razović, to discuss preparations and technical matters before the team enters the atmosphere of a fixture that represents a pivotal moment in Al-Faisaly's journey in the tournament.
Hamdallah returns to Al-Ta'awoun's plans
On the other side, Al-Ta'awoun regain the services of their Moroccan striker Abderrazak Hamdallah, after completing a disciplinary suspension imposed by the Asian Football Confederation. The suspension lasted three matches, following his dismissal in the second leg of the quarter-final of last season's AFC Champions League.
According to Saudi media sources, Serbian coach Vuk Razović is leaning toward including Hamdallah in the starting lineup against Al-Faisaly, after his absence from the team's three previous matches in the tournament.
The Moroccan striker's return gives the Saudi side an attacking boost, and at the same time requires Al-Faisaly's coaching staff to handle his movements inside the penalty area with caution.
Source: Al Ghad. Reporting by Yahya Qatishat.
