Al Sadd has failed to progress from the group stage in the last two editions of the tournament. 

Al Sadd’s coach Bruno Miguel is looking past his team’s disappointing result at home following a goalless draw against the United Arab Emirates’ Sharjah in the AFC Champions League opener.

Despite managing 65% of ball possession and striking 15 shots at the Emirati box, Al Sadd got the short end of the stick as Baghdad Bounedjah missed a chance to secure a win with a penalty.

“We are still at the beginning of the tournament, and we aim to win all our matches. We hope to deliver the best performances in the upcoming matches, which will undoubtedly be tougher,” the Al Sadd coach said in his post-match conference.

Speaking on Bounedjah’s missed penalty, the Al Sadd coach described the moment as a “lack of luck” for the veteran Algerian striker.

“There was a lack of luck for Baghdad in missing the penalty, and this happens to all players. We played a good game and tried multiple times, but we couldn’t achieve what we were aiming for,” the Portuguese coach added.

The match proved to be a frustrating home game for fans as Al Sadd has failed to progress from the group stage in the last two editions of the AFC Champions League.

Team captain Hassan Al Haydos has apologised for his team’s performance.

“We wished to bring joy to our passionate fans, who attended and supported the team wholeheartedly. We apologise to them for the result, and we will try to make amends in the upcoming matches. This is the first game, and the next ones will be better,” Al Haydos said.

Looking ahead, Al Sadd will face hosts Uzbekistan’s Nasaf on October 2, while their return leg against Sharjah is scheduled for November 27.