Sami Al-Trabelsi explains reasons for victory over Al-Sib

Tunisian club Al-Shorta's manager Sami Al-Trabelsi and defender Maitham Jabbar held their press conference after a valuable victory over Oman's Al-Seeb with a narrow 1-0 win in the first round of the AFC Champions League.

The victory has put Al-Shorta at the top of the group with 3 points, but the coach and player have stated that the journey is still long and focus must continue.

Tunisian coach Sami Al-Trabelsi began his remarks by expressing his happiness with the three points, confirming that winning the first match is always an important key in tournament play.

Al-Trabelsi said: "We achieved an important victory and a perfect start in the tournament. We knew that the match against Al-Seeb would not be easy as they are a defensively organized team that excels at closing spaces, and that is what happened in the first half where we faced difficulty in breaking through their defense."

He added: "At half-time, we talked to the players about the need to increase the speed of ball movement and to move without the ball. In the second half, we managed to unlock the defence and score the winning goal. The most important thing is patience and not rushing, and that is what the players applied well."

Al-Trabelsi stated: "The AFC Champions League is a strong competition that includes respectable teams, so every point is valuable. Today we took 3 points and topped the group, which gives us great confidence, but we must continue to work with the same seriousness; we still have 5 matches left in the group."

The coach of Al-Shorta concluded his remarks with a message to the fans: "I thank the Al-Shorta fans who attended and supported the team from the first minute until the end; they were the 12th player today."

Al-Shorta defender and Iraq national team player Mutham Jabbar expressed his happiness at the victory and securing the first 3 points in the tournament.

Mytham said: "Thank God for the win, it was a tough match against an organized team. In the 1st half, we were unable to score despite our control, but in the 2nd half, we came in with greater determination and succeeded in scoring the winning goal through our teammate Hussein Ali."

He added: "The fans were the key today, their presence at Al-Zawraa Stadium gave us a huge boost, we play in Baghdad among our people and this gives us an additional responsibility to always deliver our best."

Regarding the team's ambitions in the tournament, Meitham Jabbar said: "Al-Shorta is a big team and we are used to competing for titles. Our goal this season is to go far in the AFC Champions League 2 and make our fans happy. This is just the beginning, and we need to continue with the same spirit and focus in the upcoming matches."

With this victory, Al-Shorta have taken a step towards early qualification, and their upcoming match is expected to be more challenging. However, the statements from Al-Trabelsi and Mutham Jabbar confirm that the team is approaching the tournament step by step with a winning mentality only.