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Zenga’s men committed to the cause as they meet Al Gharafa in the AFC Champions League

Walter Zenga has been pleased with the work rate of his Al Nasr players of late, as they prepare for a crucial AFC Champions League fixture against Al Gharafa at the Al Maktoum Stadium on Tuesday night. Going into the game in high spirits off the back of an impressive win over Bani Yas in the Etisalat Pro League on Friday, Zenga is confident his men will put in a good shift in the continental competition. “I’m happy with the level of performance and commitment from my players,” the Italian said at his pre-match press conference. “They are working very hard and always taking my instructions on board. We are working continuously with no days off to deal with our busy fixture list, and I am happy my players are fully supportive and I know they will always do their best.” Al Nasr face a busy month ahead, with games coming thick and fast both in the domestic League and on the continent; “Playing 9 games in the space of about 30 days is definitely not an easy task, and nobody can fully understand this unless they have played professional football,” Zenga explained.

Looking ahead to Tuesday night’s match, Al Nasr’s head coach is well aware of the threat posed by Qatar’s Al Gharafa and some of their star players, although Zenga does not welcome the absence of former Al Nasr man Mark Bresciano, who is out injured after picking up a knee problem playing for Australia recently. “Honestly, I am never happy when a player misses a game due to injury,” Zenga told the media. “I always prefer to play against a full team with all their players available, because the joy of football is to test yourself against the best players from all around the world.” With international players such as Djibril Cisse amongst their ranks, Walter Zenga knows that Al Gharafa have a strong squad: “They are a very good team with good players, especially their international players. We are focused on their strengths as a team and pay less attention to individuals who are missing out.”

Zenga was joined at the pre-match press conference by Al Nasr and UAE national team midfielder Habib Al Fardan, who echoed his manager’s sentiments. “Yes, there are a lot of games coming up in a short space of time, which is perhaps something that the players are not used to. But we will definitely give our best for our club and the pride of our country, and I hope we can make our fans happy with a positive result to continue our journey in the AFC Champions League.” Meanwhile, Al Gharafa’s coach Habib Sadek pointed out that whilst his side will be missing Bresciano for the match, Al Nasr are in a similar situation as they are without club captain Leonardo Lima, who serves the first game of his two-match suspension following his red card in the previous round. “Al Nasr are missing Lima and we are missing Bresciano. They play in the same position, they have a similar style of play. But at the end of the day, Al Nasr do not depend on one player, and let’s not forget both Al Nasr and Al Gharafa have some exceptionally talented local players who are capable of making the difference as well,” the Tunisian said.