Santos: Fan support is the key to the Royal Army's victory in the African Champions League.
The Portuguese Alexander Santos, coach of the Royal Army football team, expressed his great confidence in his team's ability to "turn the tables" against Mamelodi Sundowns during the second leg of the African Champions League final; affirming that "the military group is ready to write a new historical page in the club's record."
Santos said today, Saturday, at the press conference preceding the decisive match, that reaching the continental final was not a coincidence; rather, it came after a difficult and arduous journey filled with strong confrontations and significant sacrifices from the players and the technical and medical staff.
The Portuguese coach explained that the military team faced complicated circumstances since the group stage, especially in some matches that lacked fan support; however, the players showed strong character and succeeded in continuing their path steadily until reaching the final.
He added that the Royal Army managed to overcome strong clubs during the competition, noting that qualifying at the expense of RS Berkane in the semi-finals gave the group a significant morale boost before the anticipated continental date.
Santos emphasized that facing Sundowns is different from other matches, given the strength of the South African team and its technical capabilities.
On the other hand, the military team's coach confirmed that the technical staff worked on all the details to prepare the players mentally and physically to achieve a "comeback" after losing the first leg by one goal to nil.
He highlighted that confidence remains strong within the group, pointing out that the players will enter the second leg with a winning mentality and a determination to fight until the last minute to win the title and dedicate it to the fans of the Royal Army.
Santos concluded his statements by affirming that the presence and support of the fans will be among the key factors in turning the result around, emphasizing that the team believes in its full chances of achieving a new continental achievement and restoring African glory to the military fortress.