Goa: In a lambasting interview that took most journalists and the AFC organizing team at the Pre Match Press Conference by surprise, Al Wahda Coach Hendrik Willem Ten Cate spared no words in voicing out the “injustice” meted to them.
Speaking ahead of their match against Al Rayyan on Tuesday, Cate lamented the fact that 5 of their 6 games have been scheduled for early kick-off at 8 pm by the AFC despite knowing that 90% of their team comprises of Muslims who observe fasting due to Ramadan, making it difficult for them to train on an empty stomach.
“We have had unfair treatment from all quarters. First with the timings of kickoff, then with the referee denying us at least three very clear penalties for no reason, costing us both games. I feel this was because I have been openly critical of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). This is the second time we are getting the same 4th official, that too from Syria. He sent out our team manager twice without any proper cause. What did we do wrong and why are we being treated like this” he rebuked.
A member of the organizing team at AFC was quick to respond that the schedules were automatically generated by a computer software based on the codes given to participating teams. However, Cate wasn’t too impressed with the reasoning and quipped that they should perhaps code their software better. He also suggested a simple method of giving teams equal number of 8pm and 10:30pm kick-off slots, as they have an even number of matches to be played in any case.
On being asked whether the pandemic affected their training leading up to ACL, Cate continued to blame the schedule, saying Ramadan has affected our performance more than the pandemic has. “The only bad thing about the pandemic is having to stuff sticks up my nose every three days, but that is manageable compared to this lack of transparency and level playing field” he said.
Regarding his team, he said that due to the injury that Midfielder Abdulla Hamad sustained in the previous match and his subsequent admission to the hospital, the player would be out for the remainder of the tournament, quarantined for 17 days due to the bio-bubble being breached with the forced hospital visit.
The coach had nothing more to say regarding the match except acknowledging that Al Rayyan are a good team and they would need to play well in order to beat them. Ending his press conference on a slightly more positive note, he said he loved the people of India for their hospitality and friendly nature, which he has not observed anywhere else, with such vigour.
Al Wahda Defender Lucas Pimenta who is from Brazil was also present, and said that while the weather conditions in Goa were pretty similar to how it is at his hometown in Brazil, thereby making it easy for him to adjust, the same wasn’t the case with the rest of the team who aren’t used to such humid conditions.
Al Rayyan Speaks
Former World Cup Winner Laurent Blanc, who is now the Coach of Al Rayyan was present at the press conference along with striker Yohan Boli. He admitted that in the previous game, Persepolis were much better than Al Rayyan and hence they deserved the win.
He said that the current focus was to win both matches against Al Wahda and FC Goa, in order to at least finish second on the table. That is possible only with proper management and training of the players, including smart substitutions in the matches to ensure that players perform to their optimal levels without injuries.
On being intimated that their opponents in the game aren’t great defensively, giving the Al Rayyan strikers a good chance on goal, striker Yohan replied that it wasn’t on their mind as to how the opponents perform. “We focus on how we can be better, and do not try to one-up on our opponents’ weaknesses. Our aim as a team is to play better and score more goals, regardless of the opponent. Having Laurent Blanc as a coach helps as he brings with him a lot of experience, which is necessary for a competition like this.” he added.
The coach, on being questioned if he was a scary taskmaster replied that he hopes his players aren’t scared of him, as that would result in disastrous performances by everyone. When the players are of this high calibre, it is but natural that the management chooses a coach with a higher experience so that he can guide the players better.
Speaking about substitutions, he said “Smart substitution is the key, despite the changed rules allowing more subs. Changing 50% of the squad in one shot just because you have the option to isn’t necessarily a great thing. It changes the whole dynamic which the team has been playing with. All the changes I have done so far during the game were purely tactical or out of the intent to keep my player fit for the rough schedule ahead. They sometimes don’t get it in the heat of the moment and are angry or disappointed, but later they know why I did what I did.”
He closed by saying that despite the challenges, the team is fully ready to take on Al Wahda and the three points.
