“The match was tough, and we could have scored 3 or 4 goals in the first half, but in the second half, the players showed great belief in victory despite being outnumbered,” said Sérgio Conceição, the manager of Al-Ittihad, following his team’s narrow 1-0 victory over Al-Hazm on Matchday 27 of the Roshen League.
The only goal of the match came from Abdulrahman Al-Aboud in the 72nd minute, securing three crucial points for Al-Ittihad. This victory propelled the team to 45 points, placing them sixth in the league standings.
Prior to this match, Al-Ittihad had faced a setback by being knocked out of the cup, making this win particularly significant for the team. In contrast, Al-Hazm’s defeat left them in 11th place with 31 points.
The match was not without controversy, as Moussa Diaby of Al-Ittihad committed a violent foul on Abdulrahman Al-Dakhil in the 33rd minute. Initially shown a yellow card, Diaby was later issued a red card, leaving Al-Ittihad to play with a numerical disadvantage for the remainder of the match.
Despite the challenges, Conceição expressed pride in his players’ resilience: “I don’t want us to play with a numerical disadvantage, and I am against violent interventions.” His comments reflect a commitment to maintaining discipline on the field.
As the season progresses, Al-Ittihad will look to build on this victory and improve their standing in the league, while Al-Hazm will need to regroup and find ways to secure points in their upcoming matches.