Al-Arabi pursues key victory over Maziya Sports to boost Cup hopes

27/10/2024

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 27: Al-Arabi resumed training ahead of their AFC Challenge Cup Group 2 clash against Maziya Sports of the Maldives, scheduled for tomorrow.

Al-Arabi lost its group opener to Kyrgyzstan's Abdish-Atta by a single goal, while Turkmenistan’s Arkadag defeated Maziya Sports 2-1 in the same group.

Al-Arabi coach Nasser Al-Shatti attributed the recent loss to the team’s missed opportunities, emphasizing the need to secure victories in the next two matches to keep its qualification hopes alive. At the post-match press conference, Al-Shatti mentioned that limited information on Abdish-Atta led both teams to approach the first half with caution, resulting in few scoring chances. He noted that Al-Arabi controlled much of the second half and created a scoring opportunity, but the finishing was off, while Abdish-Atta capitalized on its chance and netted the winning goal.

After conceding, Al-Shatti made substitutions to energize the squad, but despite the players’ efforts, they couldn’t find an equalizer.

Meanwhile, Abdish-Atta coach Islam Akhmedov expressed delight over the win, stating that the team’s journey is just beginning, and it’s committed to advancing further. Akhmedov also praised Al-Arabi’s strong lineup and overall performance.

Abdish-Atta player Erbol Atabaev, who scored the decisive goal and was named Man of the Match, described the game as challenging but credited his team’s collective efforts in overcoming a tough opponent. He hopes they will continue to advance successfully in the tournament.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff