Stressed that the Coming Days Need Consolidated Efforts.. Ghazi Fahad: I Trust Al Ain Players Will Achieve the Pre-Set Goals
In his first media conference, the “temporary” head coach of Al Ain First Football Team Iraqi Ghazi Fahad, expressed his sincerest appreciation for the Board of Directors of Al Ain Football Club Company, for their trust in his services and capacities to task him to lead the football team in the upcoming period.
“Also, I would like to thank the coaching team under the command of Ivan Leko for their great efforts they exerted during the past period. We all have full confidence in the players and fans of this lofty sports club to boost up the aspirations and realize the desired goals,” Ghazi Fahad stated in the pre-match press conference dedicated for the team’s match against Dibba Al Hisn as part of the last 16-teams stage of the President’s Cup.
Fahad commented on his temporary appointment, saying that change is a fact of life. “I have deep faith that we all will be able to achieve the desired goals of the Club. The next stage requires to consolidate the efforts of all the administrative and coaching teams, players, and fans. We all need remarkable support of the fans and be behind their team in this critical stage of the current season.”
He stated: “Any team has the opportunity to have the names of Al Ain players in its lineup would be able to dominate any match and hit the highest indicators of success.”
Ghazi revealed part of his priorities in this upcoming stage, including giving the players the chance to regain their self-confidence and handle the fitness issues. “When it comes to me, I have no magic stick to change everything, but any team that has players with the high quality and value of the Al Ain’s players could make the required change and definitely show a wholly new image of the team.”
In response to a question on regaining the players’ self-confidence, especially those who were not included in the team’s lineup during the past period, he said: “We are facing a new challenge and the past period is over. I have seen signs of a high level of accountability during my meeting with the players before kicking off our first training session. It is indeed one of the gains that will boost up their level of self-confidence. They all expressed their strong desire to achieve the desired goals of the Club in the upcoming games.”
He added: “There is no easy match in the world of football. Indeed, Cups games require a high level of concentration and great efforts regardless of the position of the opponent in the standing table or division. I still need to hold more meetings to put things in order.”
Commenting on a question on whether assuming his new position two days ahead of his first match with the team considered a big challenge, he said: “Football game is always associated with big challenges even if it is a training session. Our opponent in the next match has done well in their matches in the first division league and topped the standing table.”
As for the foreign players he will select as per the competition regulation, he said: “The President’s Cup regulations allow you to include only two foreigners and another two resident players when playing against the teams of the first division. Currently, Abdul Rahman Meziane and Laba Kodjo are not part of my starting lineup due to injury and will assess the other players’ fitness and readiness during the coming two training sessions to finalize the names of the team’s starting lineup.”
