Al Ahly coach Jose Riveiro admitted that he would not share his thoughts with the media following his side's disappointing opening-day draw.
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The Red Devils played a 2-2 draw against Modern Sport in Riveiro's first Egyptian Premier League game, and the Spaniard was not too pleased with the way his team defended in the game, which he believed cost them three points, according to Youm7.
The former Orlando Pirates boss admitted that his team did not take all their chances, but was also disappointed with the mistakes that led to the goals conceded.
"We had some chances but didn’t convert them," Riveiro said.
"There was some haste from certain players, which led to wasted opportunities. We conceded the second goal through a lapse in concentration. We’re still at the start of the season, so this is natural."
Riveiro acknowledged that Al Ahly could have lost their opener, but refused to share his thoughts with the media.
"We could have lost the match, but we drew. I know the draw doesn’t please Al Ahly fans," he said.
"I will not comment on Egyptian media — you have full freedom to analyse and comment, but I will not comment on the media here," he added.
When he was questioned about his team selection and the omission of Achraf Dari, he retorted that he picked his team to win games.
"Why didn’t you ask me about El Shenawy not playing? I have great respect for Al Ahly’s culture, which is about winning only," he said.
The 49-year-old expected to see improvements as the season rolls on.
"The team will certainly improve as matches go on," he said.
"I have 27 players, and I need everyone because we’re competing in many tournaments, and everyone will get their chance.”
He added: "Because of the long season, we had to give the players a rest after the Club World Cup, and some players joined us only after the tournament.”
The ex-Bucs tactician was quick to note that the narrative would have been different had the 44-time League champions won the game.
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"I was the one who wanted to win the most today because it was the first match. If we had won, the conversation today would be very different," he concluded.
