Al Ahli youth coach Paulo Soza stated that the 2-0 victory over Qatari Al-Gharafa in the fifth round of the AFC Champions League is one of the team's most significant gains this season. According to him, the value of this win lies not only in the result but also in the outstanding team performance and clear control over the match against a seasoned and top team in the Qatari league. After the match, held at Al Ahli's stadium in Dubai, Soza noted that the team has maintained the strong levels it has shown for the past three years. He added that the next stage of the tournament will be crucial and decisive, and the victory boosts confidence within the group, pushing them to continue progressing steadily towards qualification. Defender Kuan Santos scored the opening goal in the ninth minute, before Bala added a second (28). "Dubai's knights" increased their tally to 10 points, keeping their hopes of qualifying for the Round of 16 alive, while Al-Gharafa's points remained at three. Soza emphasized that the victory was achieved not just by the scoreline but by the way the players performed, creating numerous chances in various ways, which confirms that they possess the tools to get close to qualifying for the next round. The Portuguese coach also mentioned that the upcoming period will be an opportunity to address injuries and rest players, coinciding with some joining their national teams, expressing his pride in the level his players demonstrated in a tough match against a very experienced opponent. Meanwhile, Al-Gharafa's Qatari coach, Pedro Martinez, considered the loss to Al Ahli as a result of early individual mistakes that affected the overall course of the match. He confirmed that his team paid for not entering the match atmosphere as required during the first 20 minutes. Martinez said in a post-match press conference that Al-Gharafa conceded two goals from "two simple mistakes", explaining: "We conceded two goals from just two shots at the beginning, and after that, we tried to get back and succeeded in balancing the performance in the first half, creating real chances inside the box, but we weren't effective enough." Martinez added that his team had a good second half despite the difficulty of the match and the pressure from Al Ahli, saying: "We improved in the second half and created more than one chance. It's true that the opponent had more chances, but we were also close to scoring if we had been more precise in the final touch." Martinez spoke frankly about the impact of significant absences in his team, pointing out that the lack of key players directly affected the team's confidence on the field, saying: "The team was not comfortable due to the absences, as some players were injured, others are suffering from muscle problems, and some entered the match not fully ready, and this affected us especially at the beginning."
