Abu dhabi: Al Ahli head coach Younes Ali affirmed his team's strong ambition to secure victory and lift the Challenge Cup title when they face UAE's Al Jazira on Sunday at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, as part of the Qatar-UAE Super Cup competitions.
According to Qatar News Agency, speaking during the pre-match press conference on Saturday, Younes Ali said the encounter will not be easy, citing his close follow-up and deep knowledge of Al Jazira. He stressed that Al Ahli will enter the match with full concentration and a commanding mindset, aiming to win and be crowned champions.
The coach clarified that preparations for the high-stakes showdown have been strong and well organized, underlining his awareness of the opponent's quality, the significance of the match, and the tremendous media attention surrounding it.
The team are fully prepared to showcase their distinct technical style on the pitch, he noted, describing the contest as powerful, attractive, and highly entertaining for spectators.
Younes Ali further emphasized the importance of focus in such epic matches, noting that he has previously won the competition and fully understands its value.
As such, he is determined to deliver an outstanding and phenomenal performance and achieve the intended objective, without being distracted by the results of other Super Cup matches.
For his part, German international Julian Draxler, an Al Ahli player, underlined tomorrow's tough clash, affirming that the team's focus is firmly fixated on winning and lifting the trophy.
Draxler pointed to the strength of Al Jazira in terms of players and professional depth, but stressed that Al Ahli also possess the quality, capability, and standout players required to deliver a high-level technical performance.
He affirmed that the team, as the representative of Qatari football in this epic challenge, fully recognize the importance of the match and the necessity of victory, and will enter the encounter with a genuine determination to crown its efforts with the title.