Al Ahli head coach Marino Pušić believes his side could have produced a very different result against Mamelodi Sundowns had they taken advantage of their best moments in the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup final.
Sundowns claimed a 2-1 victory on Saturday to lift the inaugural FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup 2026, with Nuno Santos scoring twice for Miguel Cardoso’s side.
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Despite the defeat, Pušić felt Al Ahli largely controlled the contest and managed to limit Sundowns’ opportunities, particularly before the final stages of the match.
“We knew they are a very good team and a very long period together, good playing team, and they are good in ball possession as well – so they showed that as well, one more time,” Pušić said.
“I said we controlled things without conceding big chances, until the last 20 minutes of the second half, and I think we used their weaknesses in a good way – only we didn’t score a goal in that moment.”
The Al Ahli coach also highlighted the cohesion within the Sundowns squad, pointing to the amount of time many of their players have spent together at club and international level.
“We knew they are a good team, they have been playing for a long period together, they are in the national team for a long time together and they have a lot of automatism,” he added.
“They are fit team as well. Always a tough opponent to face, but like I said – if we took our chances in our good moments, it could have been a very different game for them.”
Pušić ultimately congratulated Sundowns on securing the trophy, while reflecting on the missed opportunities that prevented Al Ahli from taking advantage of their strongest spells.
“I want to congratulate them as well for winning this cup. So congrats to the team.”