Jamal Salami admits Al Fateh face major task after four-goal defeat by Al Ahli

Jamal Salami acknowledged that Al Fateh must address both their technical and mental shortcomings after his first match in charge ended in a 4-0 defeat by Al Ahli in the eighth round of the Roshn Saudi League.

The Saudi club struggled across the pitch as Al Ahli secured a convincing victory, giving Salami a disappointing start to his tenure. The Moroccan coach said his players failed to produce the level required and warned that significant work would be needed to put the team back on course.

“I asked the players above all to play the match with a fighting spirit, but many things were missing from our performance,” Salami said after the game.

“We need to make a major effort to correct the team’s direction, both technically and mentally.”

Salami also pointed to a lack of concentration as a key factor in Al Fateh’s performance. His side conceded four goals and collected four yellow cards, with the manager believing that most of the mistakes leading to those problems could have been avoided.

The coach said his options during the match were also limited. He felt the lack of available players capable of changing the course of the game made it harder to respond to Al Ahli’s dominance and manage the match as it developed.

Al Fateh must now review their display and work quickly to correct the weaknesses exposed in their heavy defeat. Salami’s comments came during the post-match press conference, an extract from which was shared by Al Fateh’s official account on October 9, 2026.