under the guidance of coach Fatih Terim, Al Shabab faced a tough 2-1 defeat against al Ittihad during the 16th round of the Saudi Arabian Pro League. The match, held at the King Abdullah Stadium in Jeddah, saw Al Ittihad, boasting a star-studded lineup including Karim Benzema, Fabinho, Steven Bergwijn, and N’Golo Kante, emerge victorious.
Al Ittihad took an early lead with goals from Abdulrahman Al Obod in the 32nd minute and Benzema just before halftime. Al Shabab managed to pull one back with a goal from Haroune Camara in the closing moments of the first half,but they couldn’t level the score in the second half,resulting in a 2-1 loss. This marked Terim’s second defeat in his third league match as Al Shabab’s manager.
Meanwhile,Al Ittihad,led by renowned French coach Laurent Blanc,secured their 14th league victory,keeping their title hopes alive.
Terim Reflects on Bolu Tragedy
In the post-match press conference, Terim expressed his profound sorrow over the recent hotel fire in Kartalkaya, Bolu, which claimed several lives.”The Bolu disaster has deeply affected us all. It’s hard to find the right words in such moments. I am filled with sorrow and frustration at our helplessness. Our only recourse is to prevent such tragedies in the future. I pray for the souls of those who perished and extend my heartfelt condolences to the affected families. I also wish a swift recovery to the injured,” Terim stated.
Terim acknowledged the challenge of facing Al Ittihad in Jeddah, saying, “I commend our opponents for their win. We weren’t at our best until we scored, but we showed more courage afterward, especially in the early stages of the second half. Our goal is to play our style, regardless of the outcome. Today, we were without Shwirekh, Musab, and Carrasco, but that’s no excuse. We fielded 11 players who gave their all, and that’s encouraging.We’ll return in April with a stronger squad, including new signings and returning injured players. We aim to improve and extend our periods of good play.”
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