Ange Postecoglou names three Al-Nassr youngsters as the club’s future

Ange Postecoglou has identified three Al-Nassr players he believes represent the club’s future after Friday’s 3-0 victory over Al-Diriyah in the Roshn Saudi League.

Saad Haqawi, Rakan Al-Ghamdi and Awad Aman were singled out by the Australian head coach following the eighth-round match at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh.

Awad Aman started the game as Al-Nassr dealt with a number of defensive absences, with Saudi defender Abdulelah Al-Amri the latest player unavailable in that area of the team.

Speaking at his post-match news conference, in comments reported by the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, Postecoglou said: “I think our young players are good, but the important thing is choosing the right time for them to play.”

He then named the three players he regards as particularly important to the club’s long-term prospects.

“The team includes Saad Haqawi, Rakan Al-Ghamdi and Awad Aman, and they represent the future of the club,” he added.

Postecoglou was also pleased with the way his side controlled the match against Al-Diriyah, who were unable to score despite posing a threat from set-pieces and long throw-ins.

“We played well, and it is reassuring to win,” he said. “We scored three goals without conceding, and the performance was good against a difficult team. I am happy with what the players produced.”

The Al-Nassr manager said Al-Diriyah had looked dangerous in set-piece situations, particularly with their long throws, but praised his team’s defensive organisation.

“Al-Diriyah are good at set-pieces and they used long throw-ins this evening, but they did not cause us any danger because we defended well against those situations,” said Postecoglou.

He also highlighted Al-Nassr’s attacking work from dead-ball opportunities, with one of the three goals coming from a set-piece.

“We also worked well on attacking set-pieces and managed to score from one of them,” he said.

The result moved Al-Nassr to 19 points and kept them second in the Roshn Saudi League standings. They trail leaders Al-Qadsiah on goal difference and are one point clear of Al-Hilal, who have played one match fewer.