RIYADH: Al-Fateh head coach Jose Gomes predicted his team’s clash with Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League on Thursday will be a formidable test. He acknowledged the strength of his opponents, who sit top of the league and are chasing back-to-back titles.
“We will face one of the best teams in the history of the Saudi league, a team that last season earned a place in the Guinness World Records for the most (consecutive) victories,” Gomes said on Tuesday.
The Portuguese coach, who was appointed on Dec. 15, was candid about the challenge his team faces, given that they are bottom of the league in 18th spot with just one win and three draws from 14 games.
“Without a doubt, the match will be very difficult,” he said. “We must be ready and give our best performance.”
Regarding the fitness of striker Djaniny Tavares, who has been recovering after tearing a hamstring muscle on Dec. 2, Gomes said the player is still not fully match-fit.
“When I joined the club, I reviewed his medical condition and introduced specialized exercises to aid his recovery,” he said. “He played 30 minutes in our last game against Al-Wehda but, for now, that’s his limit.”
That game, on Jan. 9, was Gomes’ first in charge and ended in a 2-1 defeat. Despite the scale of the challenge the team face in the remainder of the season, he said it is important they learn to adopt a winning mentality.
“We respect Al-Hilal,” he added. “They have excellent players and a great manager, whom I respect. However, we will head to Riyadh with one mindset: to win, because this is football.”
Al-Hilal sit top of the league on 37 points, ahead of Al-Ittihad on goal difference.
