Alberto Buceo, coach of Al Ahli's youth team, expressed his great pride in his players' performance throughout the season, despite the recent 2-3 loss to Al Ain in the 22nd round of the Professional League, which caused them to fall behind in the league standings. He emphasized that 'The Knights' had shown an exceptional level and proven their ability to compete strongly in all tournaments, fueled by high morale and great commitment on the field.
Sousa told 'Emarat Al Youm' that his team played a strong match against Al Ain, noting that the encounter was against a formidable opponent at a high level, making it one of the most difficult matches of the season, especially given the direct fight for the title and the immense pressure surrounding such encounters.
He added: 'I am very proud of Al Ahli's youth players. They had a more than excellent season, played big matches, and the team gave everything they had on the field. We are in the finals of all tournaments, which reflects the great work we have done since the beginning of the season.'
Continuing, he said: 'If we compare this season to last season, there were many difficult things that may have prevented us from achieving all the titles as happened in the last season, but despite that, we remained in the competition and were close to the top of the table at all times.'
Regarding his conversation with the players after the match, he said: 'I met with the players immediately after the game and congratulated them on their performance because they made a huge effort. Al Ahli's youth team is a great team, and the players fulfilled their duties completely.'
The Portuguese coach also pointed out that impactful absences had a role in the course of the match, especially in the middle of the field, saying: 'We missed some important players, either technically or physically, and this affected us against a team like Al Ain, especially in the middle of the field, but these are things beyond our control.'
He continued: 'Overall, I am very satisfied with the players' performance; they gave everything they had and showed a strong character despite the difficult circumstances.'
Al Ahli's youth team's points are frozen at 52 points, four points behind the leaders Al Ain with 56 points.
We will continue to fight Sousa confirmed that Al Ahli's youth team will continue to fight until the end, saying: 'We will continue to fight until the last match. This team was built to be a contender in all tournaments, and we will continue to work with the same spirit and ambition in the next phase.'
