Brains Over Bravado: Jaissle's Smart Plan to Outsmart Al Wahda in AFC Elite Clash
8 February 2026
Smart tactics over brute force
German coach Matias Jaissle of Al Ahli Jeddah sees a squad full of quality, but his main weapon will be intelligence as they face UAE's Al Wahda in the seventh round of the AFC Champions League Elite.
Al Ahli booked a knockout berth with 13 points, sharing third place with Al Wahda, which also advanced.
In the pre-match press conference, Jaissle outlined plans to rotate across several positions and bring in fresh names to rest the starters, while expressing confidence in his players' ability to deliver when called upon.
We must rely on smart decisions in these matches and manage them by balancing the desire to win with rotating the squad.
We are preparing for the game in the best possible way, and I trust all the players to perform well; playing in the Asian competition is always a wonderful experience, and we want to keep our proud history and continue the same approach.
Preview: The clash pits Al Wahda's crest against Al Ahli's crest, with the fixture set for February 9, 2026 at 14:45, part of the Elite group stage.
Punchlines: If intelligence is our weapon, the bench is our secret sidekick—like Batman, but with better coffee. And if we win, we'll celebrate like a calendar with all weekends free—finally, a day of rest that actually exists.
