Santos: "I have never been a coach who tries to waste time, and our goal is to win and qualify against any team we face in the quarter-finals"

AS FAR coach Alexandre Santos emphasized that the work carried out by the technical staff focuses on both mental and technical preparation, coupled with a strong belief in the squad's ability to overcome various challenges, regardless of the opponent's strength or the number of absent players.

Speaking at a press conference following their qualification for the CAF Champions League quarter-finals, the AS FAR coach stated: "Anyone who knows my playing style, whether with AS FAR or my previous team, knows that I have faced Zamalek, JS Kabylie, and other North African teams before, and my strategy has never been to waste time."

He further affirmed: "The team's preparation was not only mental. I always tried to make the players understand that we are determined to prepare the team psychologically and technically, even in the event of two prominent Al Ahly players being absent, and this is what made a difference for us today."

Santos continued: "The secret behind AS FAR's varied performance in the CAF Champions League is the group stage, which for us is like a mini-tournament. The result of our match against Young Africans, in my opinion, was fair, given the dubious goal we conceded."

When asked about which team he would prefer to face in the quarter-finals, he concluded: "I'm not thinking about that now. All the teams that have reached the quarter-finals are good. I also recall that Stade Malien is a good team. Regardless of who we face, our goal will be to win and qualify."