Al-Shamal will undergo an important continental test when it meets Iranian Tractor today at seven o’clock in the evening in the match that will be held at the Sultan Qaboos Stadium in the Omani capital, Muscat, as part of the second round of the AFC Champions League for the elite, in a confrontation during which the team will look forward to presenting a strong level and achieving a positive result that will enhance its chances in the competition, and give it an important morale boost in its journey in the tournament during its first participation.
Al-Shamal had begun its tournament by tying with Al-Ittihad with a goal for each team, in a match during which it was close to achieving a valuable victory, before conceding the equalizer in the final seconds, settling for one point despite the strong performance it presented against one of the most prominent teams participating in the tournament.
Al-Shamal aspires to build on the level it showed in the first round, and turn the good performance into a victory that gives it more confidence, especially in light of its possession of a group of distinguished names capable of making a difference, led by Algerian Baghdad Bounedjah, Mohamed Ali Ben Ramadan, Thiago Silva, and Clado, along with goalkeeper Babacar Seck, Nassim Ben Aissa, and other players whom the team is counting on in this important confrontation.
On the other hand, Iranian Tractor enters the match with the ambition of compensating for its loss in the opening round against Shabab Al-Ahly of the Emirates with an unanswered goal, which makes it required to search for victory and restore its balance, which heralds a strong confrontation open to all possibilities.
Al-Shamal realizes the difficulty of the task in front of a competitor looking to compensate, but it has the capabilities and experience that qualifies it to compete with the Iranian team, in light of its ambitions to confirm its continental presence and continue positive results, in an effort to obtain the three points and come a new step closer to achieving its goals in the tournament.
David Prats: We are ready to face the tough Tractor
Spanish David Prats, coach of Al-Shamal, stressed the importance of Al-Shamal’s match with Iranian Tractor.
Prats said in the press conference: “We are waiting for a strong confrontation with a big team, and therefore the confrontation will not be easy at all.” He added: “We are ready for the match, and our preparations did not differ much from our preparations for the first match in the tournament against Al-Ittihad, because we are well aware that all matches will be difficult in a large tournament the size of the AFC Champions League for the elite, which includes the highest levels in the Asian continent.”
He pointed out that the team’s preparations began since the end of the team’s last match in the Doha Bank Stars League against Al-Duhail, stressing the team’s readiness for tomorrow’s confrontation in which we hope to provide the best to achieve the desired result.
The Al-Shamal coach expressed his hope that the team would perform at the same level as it did in the Saudi Al-Ittihad match, stressing at the same time that the recent loss to Al-Duhail in the league would not affect the team, especially since the league championship differs from the AFC Champions League, and he said: “The team is ready from both a technical and moral standpoint.” He said: “Mohamed Omar will be absent due to injury, and we will see how prepared Baghdad Bounedjah is, but I have complete confidence in the northern players who are with the team.”
Ben Ramadan: Our ambition is a positive result
Mohamed Ali bin Ramadan, the Al-Shamal player, stressed the difficulty of the Iranian Tractor match. Bin Ramadan said in the press conference for the match: “We are ready for the difficult confrontation. We will face a great team with experience in Asian tournaments, and we hope to be present on the field.”
Bin Ramadan stressed that the Al-Shamal players live up to the responsibility placed on their shoulders, stressing their great determination to achieve a positive result and do their utmost.
Bin Ramadan said: “Riyad Mahrez is certainly a great player, with tremendous potential and great experience, and we wish him success with the team.”