On Monday, September 18, a press conference was held in Ashgabat on the eve of the match of the first round of the AFC Champions League group stage between the football clubs "Ahal" (Turkmenistan) and "Al-Faiha" (Saudi Arabia). The meeting with journalists was attended by the head coaches and captains of both teams, as well as representatives of the organizing committee of the tournament.

The head coach of Al-Fahey, Vuk Rasovic, said that his team came to Turkmenistan with the aim of reaching the playoffs of the AFC Champions League. He also said that the team has experience of playing in this tournament, but is not going to relax and underestimate their rivals. The coach stressed that every match in the group will be difficult and require maximum concentration and effort.

When asked by an ORIENT correspondent about the physical condition of the Al-Fahey players, Rasovic replied that the team has a full squad and does not have serious injuries.

The Serbian coach said that the team had a high-quality preparation for the match and recovered after the flight. He added that the team is ready for a physical and psychological test, which is a game with "Ahal".

However, in case of an unsuccessful alignment during the match, the Serbian team intends to resort to the so-called plan "B", using various counterattacks and other tactical preparations.

The first match of the Turkmen team against Saudi Al-Fahey will be held on September 19 at 21:00 at the Ashgabat Stadium.

Arthur PETROSYANTS