Al Wasl x Al Jazira. ADIB Cup. Pre-match Press Conference
Abu Dhabi: March 16, 2025
First-team coach Hussein Ammouta insisted that the match against Al Wasl on Monday night in the semi-finals of the ADIB Cup will be difficult, and expressed his confidence in his team's ability to perform well and achieve a positive result despite the significant absences from the starting lineup due to international call-ups and injuries.
During the press conference introducing the match, Ammouta said, "We anticipate a difficult match against Al Wasl, the holders of the League title from last season, who have been performing well this season. We will have to be at our best in the two semi-final matches, starting with Monday's match. We aim to be in the Final, but we are currently fully focused on advancing past the semi-finals. We are preparing intensively for the first leg, as these matches are decided by many details that require us to deliver our best possible performance."
The Moroccan coach continued, "Al Wasl has gained great confidence after winning the League and President Cup last season. They possess great individual and collective capabilities, which makes playing against them difficult for any team. We, on the other hand, are going through a period of transformation, and I believe this period is positive for us. We are constantly improving compared to the beginning of the season, during which we made many mistakes. We are very confident in our ability to perform well against Al Wasl, and we are well aware that performing well will only be possible if we are at our 100% mental and physical levels, which is what we are working to achieve in the hours before the next match."
Ammouta highlighted the absences in Al Jazira's squad, explaining, "We have significant absences due to international call-ups. Ali Khaseif, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Mohammed Al Attas, Zayed Sultan, Abdullah Ramadan, and Bruno are all in the UAE national team camp. Mubarak Bani Zama, Youssef Al Marzouqi, and Zayed Khamis are also absent after joining the Olympic Team camp. Richard Akonnor has returned to group training, but he still needs more time to be fit to participate in matches."
The coach addressed Al Jazira fans, saying, "The fans' support is very important in all matches, and I hope they will be with us in large numbers in Dubai on Monday night, as they have always been with us since the beginning of the season. I promise them, on behalf of the team, that we will give our best and fight to return from Al Wasl Stadium with a positive result."
