Sami Al-Trabelsi warns of East Bengal FC attack in AFC Champions League 2

A press conference was held ahead of the AFC Champions League match between Al-Shorta and their hosts East Bengal FC, where the Green Lute's head coach Sami Al-Trabelsi spoke alongside Bassam Shakir to reveal the team's technical and physical readiness and ambitions before the anticipated encounter.

Al-Tarablsi stated: "The match will not be easy against a good team, and the coaching staff has followed many of their matches and knows their capabilities, in addition to the development that Indian football is witnessing. The goal of Al-Shorta is to achieve a positive result and deliver a good performance."

He added: "The differences between the teams in the group are not significant, and the team that manages to collect the most points from the start will have a greater chance of qualifying, and East Bengal FC has outstanding players, especially in the attacking department."

The coach explained about the weather conditions and the pressure of matches: "The team is accustomed to playing in high temperatures, so the weather is not a problem for them, but playing nine matches or more in a single month puts a lot of pressure on them, and the number of matches gives the team more cohesion and connection."

Police player Bassam Shakir recalled his memories at the match venue, saying: "I previously played in this stadium in 2017 with the youth national team nine years ago, and I am very happy to return once again to the city of Kolkata, India."

Bassam Shakir stated: "We are looking to deliver a positive match against East Bengal FC, achieve victory, collect the three points, and present a level worthy of Iraqi football and the fans of Al-Shorta in particular."

The Al-Shorta team has completed its final preparations on the pitch in Kolkata, awaiting the kickoff tomorrow, Tuesday, at 4:45 PM Baghdad time, with great aspirations from the Iraqi fans for the team to return with three points and seize the top spot in Group D.