Al Jazira striker Simon Banza cites errors after 4-1 defeat to Al-Ittihad
Congolese forward Simon Banza voiced deep disappointment after Al Jazira's heavy 4-1 loss to Al-Ittihad in the AFC Champions League qualifiers.
Key Takeaways
AICongolese striker Simon Banza, who plays for UAE club Al Jazira, expressed his deep disappointment following his team's heavy defeat to Al-Ittihad on Tuesday night.
Al-Ittihad secured a convincing 4-1 victory over Al Jazira in their match on Tuesday at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, as part of the preliminary round of the AFC Champions League Elite qualifiers.
Speaking exclusively to Ajel after the match, Banza said: "Individual and tactical mistakes were decisive in the outcome, in addition to differences in technical readiness; I believe Al-Ittihad were better prepared."
He added, "We entered the match aiming to qualify for the AFC Champions League Elite and to beat Al-Ittihad, but the game proved extremely difficult, especially after we fell behind by two goals at the end of the first half."
With this win, Al-Ittihad secured their place in the group stage of the AFC Champions League Elite, becoming the fifth Saudi club to qualify, joining Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli, and Al-Qadsiah.