Ettifaq coach Steven Gerrard has revealed his delight at his team’s 2-1 win over Al-Nassr in his first match in charge on Monday night.
Sadio Mane gave visitors Al-Nassr the lead after just four minutes but the home team hit back with two goals early in the second half by Robin Quaison (47) and Moussa Dembele (53).
“I am proud of the team’s performance, especially in the second half,” said Gerrard. “The players delivered a high-level performance. In the first half we were reaching their goal, but we needed to convert the chances.”
“After Al-Nassr scored the first goal, we tried to return into the match, and correct the mistakes between the two halves,” he added. “We quickly came back into the match and showed a champion mentality.”
On the impact of the weather conditions, Gerrard said: “I experienced difficult temperatures when I was a player, so we do not consider the weather to be an issue, and there are no excuses in football.”
Gerrard had particular praise for compatriot and former Liverpool colleague Jordan Henderson, who he called a “coach” and “leader” on the pitch. He said Jordan was not yet fully fit and more was expected from him, especially once he acclimatizes to the weather conditions.
