Santos Calls Disallowed Goal 'Strange,' Vows Strong Response Against Al Ahly and JS Kabylie

Alexander Santos, coach of AS FAR, described the decision to disallow his team's goal against Tanzania's Young Africans as "strange." He affirmed that achieving victories against Al Ahly and JS Kabylie would be the best response to "The Military's" first defeat this season.

In statements received by "Al Botola," Santos said: "We played a good match, as is our custom throughout the season. This was our first defeat, and it remains my responsibility. We played on a pitch where it was difficult to implement our style, and the opponent thwarted our build-up play."

He continued: "We struggled with set-pieces, and the opponent nullified our solutions from the start. We tried not to concede what would have been only our fourth goal of the entire season. At halftime, we made changes because we needed more control of the ball."

He added: "We conceded a goal during our best moments in the match, but we weren't at our usual level for most of the game and didn't adapt quickly to the conditions. We scored the equalizer, but the referee disallowed it. I watched the video afterwards, and there was no offside, which is strange."

He concluded: "We must prepare for the upcoming match against Al Ahly, as the group is complicated. If we win the next two matches, it will be the best response and will secure us more points in the group stage."