Al-Kholood coach hails players after reaching King’s Cup last 16

Al-Kholood head coach Des Buckingham praised his team’s victory over hosts Jeddah and their qualification for the round of 16 in the King’s Cup.

Speaking at the post-match press conference after Al-Kholood’s emphatic 5-0 win, Buckingham expressed his happiness with the result and qualification, saying he was fully satisfied with his team’s performance, especially in the first half. He noted that Al-Kholood dominated the game and controlled proceedings, and confirmed the team’s readiness for upcoming challenges after playing two matches in Jeddah within a week.

He added that the team continued the positive form shown in their previous match against Al-Ittihad, expressing delight at Iker Kortajarena’s hat-trick, which he attributed to the player’s hard work. Buckingham described the achievement as a strong start that requires consistency and maintaining the same level in the coming period.

He emphasized that the main goal is to develop young players, pointing out that the squad includes several promising talents in various positions. He said the progress of these players would directly reflect on the team’s overall performance in different competitions.

For his part, Jeddah coach Maher Al-Shammari explained that the team faced difficult circumstances affecting their readiness before the season began. He revealed that the number of available players before one of the recent training sessions did not exceed 14, forcing him to make unexpected changes to the lineup.

Al-Shammari noted his previous experience in the First Division "Yelo" League with several clubs, but said the current situation differs from his past experiences. He added that the club is facing financial challenges that have impacted technical and preparatory aspects, including the inability to hold a pre-season training camp.

He expressed appreciation for the club management’s efforts given the available resources, noting that the current reality is different from his expectations before the season started. He stressed the importance of providing support to clubs operating under exceptional circumstances.

Al-Shammari said his role focuses on the technical work with the available group of players, clarifying that contracts and administrative matters are not his direct responsibility. He emphasized that his focus is on improving the team’s performance and achieving the best possible results with the resources at hand.