“Turkmenistan is a wonderful country and the stadium here is magnificent,” said Jorge Jesus, head coach of Saudi club “Al-Nassr”, at the post-match press conference as he summed up the first leg of the AFC Champions League Two Round of 16 against Turkmenistan’s “Arkadag”. The match, held for the first time at Central Asia’s largest stadium, the 45,000-seat Olympic Stadium, ended in a 1–0 victory for the visiting side. The winning goal came in the 19th minute from Abdullah Al-Hamdan following a skillful assist by Gabriel Ângelo.
“I would like to thank all the participants of the match and the fans who came to the game. You have a wonderful country, hospitable people, and a magnificent stadium where all the conditions for football have been created. I am very pleased that the match turned out well for us,” said Jesus.
When asked about “Al-Nassr’s” chances of winning the AFC Champions League Two, the team’s 71-year-old Portuguese coach replied:
“Every match is important for us, and in each one we strive to perform at a high level. One of “Al-Nassr’s” objectives is to win the AFC Champions League Two. But our passage to the next round is not yet guaranteed; we still have the return leg in Riyadh. We respect our opponent and will prepare for another battle.”
Given the positive result of the first match for the Saudi club, many journalists at the press conference were interested in whether “Al-Nassr” would once again field a second-string lineup in the return match in Riyadh against “Arkadag”, or whether star players would appear on the pitch.
“I guarantee nothing and cannot say in advance whether we will play our reserves or our star players in the return leg. First, we still have another match to play in the Saudi Arabian league.”
As previously reported, before the return match with “Arkadag”, “Al-Nassr” is scheduled to play away against “Al-Fateh” on February 14 in the 22nd round of the Saudi Pro League.
At the post-match press conference, Abdullah Al-Hamdan, who was named Man of the Match and scored the only goal, also shared his impressions of the game and his expectations for the return leg.
“I would like to thank you for the warm welcome we received in Turkmenistan. It was a very good and difficult game. But the most important thing is that we won. “Arkadag” are a very strong opponent. However, we still have another match in Riyadh, and I hope it will also turn out in our favor,” said MVP winner Abdullah Al-Hamdan.
The return match between “Arkadag” and “Al-Nassr” will take place in the capital of Saudi Arabia on February 18.
