The Portuguese Paulo Sousa, coach of Al Ahli Youth in the UAE, expressed his immense happiness with his players' performance after winning against Saudi Ittihad with a goal to none, on Tuesday evening, in the second round of the group stage of the AFC Champions League.

Sousa said in the press conference following the match: "I am proud of the team spirit we have built since last season, today was an exceptional day, and the players showed great commitment to the tactical strategy, the match was between two league champions, and we are proud of what we have achieved."

The Portuguese coach explained: "We controlled the match completely during the first half, and in the second half, we physically retreated a bit, which allowed Ittihad to advance. We could have doubled the score but we missed several chances."

Sousa concluded: "Winning against Ittihad is not easy; very few teams can come away with three points from here. We are developing day by day, and we have a unique mix of experience and youth, and we have proven what we can offer in the tournament."