Georgie Jesus Slams Uzbekistan’s Nafbahor for Time Wasting Tactics in AFC Champions League Draw
- Advertisement -
Georgie Jesus: Uzbekistan’s Nafbahor Team Played Unconventionally in AFC Champions League Match
- Advertisement -
Introduction
Georgie Jesus, coach of Saudi Arabian team Al-Hilal, expressed his astonishment at the unconventional playing style of Uzbekistan’s Nafbahor team after their 1-1 draw in Riyadh on Monday in the AFC Champions League.
Match Summary
In the first round of Group D, Toma Tabatadze scored for Navbakhor in the 52nd minute, and despite facing Al-Hilal’s star-studded lineup led by Brazilian Neymar, the Uzbek team maintained their lead until the tenth minute of stoppage time when Ali Al Bulayhi scored the equalizer for Saudi Arabia.
Coach’s Remarks
Jesus, speaking at a press conference after the match, described the game as difficult due to Nafbahor’s deliberate tactics of repeatedly falling, wasting time, and disrupting the flow of the game. He admitted that his team was not accustomed to playing against such opponents.
Jesus mentioned that the opponent’s time-wasting tactics affected his players’ concentration, particularly Salman Al Faraj and Saud Abdul Hamid, who did not perform at their usual level.
As an experienced coach with 35 years of experience, Jesus stated that he had never encountered a team like Nafbahor, emphasizing that the draw result was not reflective of an ordinary match due to the unconventional tactics employed by the Uzbek team.
Conclusion
Jesus concluded his remarks by stating that Nafbahor did not come to the match with the intention of playing football. He criticized their repeated falls and time-wasting, along with the referee’s lack of intervention. He attributed the draw result to factors unrelated to football and Nafbahor’s defensive discipline.
Source: Agencies