Moroccan striker Youssef En-Nesyri was excluded from the Saudi football team Al-Ittihad’s squad that traveled to Dammam yesterday, Wednesday, in preparation for the match against Al-Ettifaq within the 33rd round of the Saudi “Roshn” League, in a technical decision that sparked wide controversy.
Youssef En-Nesyri and Al-Ittihad, this duo that the fans awaited to shine, now face new challenges.
According to the Saudi newspaper “Al-Riyadiyah,” En-Nesyri’s absence was a direct technical decision by Portuguese coach Sergio Conceição, despite the player’s physical readiness.
This step raised significant questions among the “Dean” fans, especially considering the crucial importance of the match in the race to qualify for the slots leading to the Asian Champions League for the elite, where Youssef En-Nesyri and Al-Ittihad are striving strongly to secure a continental spot.
The same source added that Conceição preferred to make changes in the team’s squad, calling up Croatian defender Jan Carlo Simic to complete the list of foreign players, which came at the expense of excluding En-Nesyri from this important encounter.
It is noted that the Moroccan striker joined Al-Ittihad during the last winter transfer window coming from Turkish club Fenerbahçe, and since then has participated in 16 matches wearing the “Tigers” jersey, scoring 7 goals and assisting one goal.
Al-Ittihad currently occupies sixth place in the Saudi league standings with 52 points, tied with Al-Taawoun in fifth place, while Al-Ettifaq holds seventh place with 49 points.
This situation increases the importance of the match in the continental qualification battle, making the decision to exclude Youssef En-Nesyri from Al-Ittihad against Al-Ettifaq the focus of everyone’s attention and many questions about its impact on the match result.
