Marzieh Jafari, head coach of the Bam Khatun team, expressed pride in her athletes, emphasizing that her team is a worthy representative of the country in this tournament.
Jafari commented on her team's performance in the group stage of the AFC Women's European Championship, stating that the squad was seriously weakened by injuries to three key players. She specified that Negin (Zandi) could not participate, and Mona (Hamedi) sustained an injury. Furthermore, Fatemeh (Gerai) faced an issue in the 20th minute of the first match and unfortunately could not play for the remainder of the tournament.
The coach characterized the group as a 'death group.' She noted that CSKA Dushanbe possessed not only full national teams from Tajikistan but also attracted four high-quality foreign players from Africa. Despite these circumstances, the Bam Khatun players showed good results and managed to secure a victory.
During the match against Al-Nassr, the coach expressed respect for the opponent. She acknowledged that Al-Nassr is a very strong team with high-level players from various countries, including France, Portugal, Bahrain, and Japan, and that they have invested significantly in their squad.
Jafari added that they expected a difficult match, and perhaps the players were somewhat intimidated by the name 'Al-Nassr.' She also noted that they could have utilized their chances better. In the 85th minute, the referee awarded Al-Nassr a penalty, which was converted, but the players continued to fight and equalized the score in the 95th minute, maintaining hope.
Moreover, she pointed out Khatun's long break from competitive activity. Since their local league concluded in February, about seven months had passed, and the lack of playing practice complicated the task. In contrast, teams like Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad participated in West Asian tournaments last month and played friendly matches, being in a very strong position due to the number of national players and quality foreigners.
Despite all the difficulties, Jafari firmly supported her team, stating: 'Despite all these conditions, the players worked incredibly hard and achieved good results. As the head coach, I am proud of my players, and I believe that Khatun are worthy representatives of our beloved country in this tournament.'
She also emphasized the importance of planning and setting clear goals. Jafari stated that she always insisted on the necessity of having a plan and goals, following a clear path to achieve them, because one cannot simply play match by match, constantly chasing results. She expressed hope that in the final match, scheduled for Sunday, the team will show good results and conclude the campaign in the best possible way with a favorable outcome.