Derby Day Pep Talk: Conceicao Praises Al-Ahli as Fans Edge the Jeddah Showdown

Conceicao Commends Al-Ahli Ahead of Jeddah Derby

The Portuguese coach Sergio Conceicao, head coach of Al-Ittihad, praised their traditional rivals Al-Ahli ahead of the Jeddah Derby in the Roshen Saudi Pro League's 25th round. The match is set for Friday at the Al-Inma Stadium in Jeddah. He described Al-Ahli as a dangerous opponent in many areas and said they studied them and know what to expect.

Key Tactics and Squad Notes

Conceicao highlighted set-pieces as a key weapon and warned that they will face a strong team on restarts and corners. He added that with the eight-foreign-player limit, they will pick the best eight and play as a unit, doing what is needed in the showdown. He also praised his midfielder Mamadou Doumbia for his recent form, calling him a great player who is developing and must continue to contribute to the group.

On the postponement of the Asian Champions League knockout rounds due to Iranian strikes, he said they would have preferred to play the champions and settle qualification, but they hope the situation ends well. He also praised Al-Ittihad fans for outshining Al Hilal in the latest derby, even though the latter had larger numbers, and he expects a similar atmosphere in the derby with only 10% of seats allocated to "the Tigers." He concluded that fan presence matters, whether in stadium or at home, and that they will give supporters what they deserve, just as their supporters did in the last match despite having fewer numbers.

Punchlines to keep the mood light: Our defense is so tight the ball wears a helmet. And when we counter, the scoreboard needs a coffee break — it’s fast, efficient, and almost never misses.