Marino Pusic said goalkeeper Edouard Mendy “saved us” during Al Ahli’s 1-0 victory over Auckland FC, while insisting Merih Demiral’s apparent frustration at being substituted was the result of “a misunderstanding”.
The Saudi Arabian side began their FIFA Intercontinental Cup campaign with victory over the New Zealand club in Jeddah on Wednesday. The result sends Al Ahli into a match against South African side Mamelodi Sundowns to decide the winner of the African-Asian-Pacific Cup.
Pusic was pleased with the way his players carried out the work prepared in training, although he acknowledged that his side had struggled to reach the required level before half-time.
“The players carried out everything they had trained for,” the Al Ahli head coach said at his post-match news conference, as reported by Al Riyadiyah. “They are now in a good position. Ideas in football are not everything, but the most important thing is the tools, and we have the right tools to apply any tactic.”
The Dutch coach said the quality of execution was more important than tactical concepts alone, praising his squad for showing they could put the plan into practice during the game.
However, he admitted Auckland FC had caused problems in the opening period.
“We did not show the required level in the first half,” said Pusic. “Mendy saved us on more than one occasion.”
Al Ahli improved after the interval and eventually secured the victory.
“In the second half we appeared in a better way and deserved to win,” Pusic added. “Everyone showed an excellent level. They attacked and defended as one team.”
The manager was also asked about the club’s summer recruitment and whether further changes could be made to the squad. Pusic did not offer any guarantees about what might happen in the future, but said he was satisfied with the players available to him at present.
“I am very happy with all the players today,” he said. “We are not sure about the future, but I am happy with the players who are currently with me.”
Pusic said Al Ahli had to prepare differently for Auckland FC because of the contrast between the New Zealand side and opponents from the Saudi Pro League. He explained that he forms a broad picture of each opponent before matches rather than leaving the outcome to chance.
At the same time, the coach said players are allowed to make some decisions for themselves during matches, rather than following instructions mechanically at every moment.
The match also featured discussion around Demiral’s reaction when he was replaced. The Turkey defender appeared unhappy as he left the pitch, but Pusic played down the incident and rejected the suggestion that it reflected a serious disagreement.
“There was no problem with the substitutions,” he said. “It was just a misunderstanding.”
