Portuguese coach Sérgio Conceição, the manager of Al-Ittihad Jeddah, emphasized the importance of set-pieces in the upcoming derby match against Al-Ahli, scheduled for next Friday.

Conceição said during the press conference: "The system allows for the presence of 8 foreign players, and we will choose the best for the match. Al Ahly is a dangerous team in several aspects, and we have studied them well and know what we need to do."

He added, "We want to play as a single unit, and set pieces are one of our important weapons. We will face a strong team in this aspect, so we will work both defensively and offensively on the details related to them."

The Portuguese coach spoke about the player Doumbia, saying: "He is a fantastic player and is constantly improving, but he still has a lot of work ahead of him. The most important thing is that he plays for the benefit of the team."

He also pointed to the team's continental aspirations by saying: "We wanted to play in the AFC Champions League for the elite and secure qualification to know our future, and we hope that the current situation ends well."

Regarding the allocation of only 10% of the stadium's capacity for Al-Ittihad fans in the derby, Conceição commented: "The presence of fans is very important, whether in the stadium or at home. We want to give them what they deserve. In the last match against Al-Hilal, our fans made their presence felt even though they were fewer in number."