Al Nasr’s head coach, Portuguese Jorge Jesús, said the opposition to the match schedule was an administrative matter, stressing that he was only focused on preparing the team to participate in league matches and the AFC Champions League.

“We are aiming to win both championships with maximum effort. We play every three days, which is normal for a team participating in multiple tournaments. If there is any objection, it is an administrative matter and it is not within my jurisdiction,” Jesus told a press conference.

The Portuguese coach added: “We had two objectives against Al-Qadag. The first was to qualify for the next round and the second was to include as many players as possible. Abdulrahman Gharib in particular took his chances, scored and showed a great performance.”

Jesus explained that the length of the league games requires the preparation of all players, stressing that having several standout players gives the team even more strength. He pointed out that strategies will be decided according to each stage, especially taking into consideration pressures such as matches, injuries, and suspensions.

He concluded his remarks by noting the improvement in defensive performance and said that despite the difficult period due to injuries to key players such as Simakan and Ayman Yahya, the team was able to play nine consecutive games without conceding a goal thanks to the dedication and hard work of the players.