Baniyas held its pre-match press conference ahead of the highly anticipated clash against Al Ain in the opening round of the ADNOC Pro League, with head coach Daniel Isăilă and captain Fawaz Awana addressing the media.

Isăilă: We are ready for the start of the league and confident in our ability to deliver a strong performance

Head coach Daniel Isăilă confirmed the team’s readiness for the opening fixture against Al Ain, highlighting the positive preparations ahead of the new season and the team’s ambition to make a strong start.

“We start the season with a tough match against Al Ain, one of the best teams in the league. They have quality players and great experience, so we fully understand the scale of the challenge awaiting us in the opening round,” Isăilă said.

He added:
“We had a very good pre-season and benefited greatly from our three-week training camp in the Netherlands. We worked with the players on different technical and physical aspects to reach the best possible level of readiness before the start of the competition.”

Isăilă continued:
“We managed to retain around 80% of the squad from last season, which is positive and gives us stability and continuity. Now, we have to make sure we are ready for this big challenge from the very first match.”

Reflecting on the previous meeting between the two sides, he said:
“We faced Al Ain here towards the end of last season and produced a very good performance. We certainly learned from that experience, and we will look to build on the positive aspects of that game.”

The Baniyas coach also stressed the importance of organization and confidence:
“We know that we need to be highly organized on the pitch and find ways to make things difficult for our opponents. At the same time, we must be mentally strong and believe in ourselves from the start.”

Isăilă concluded:
“We have to believe in our abilities and approach the match with a strong mentality. We have a good group of players, and I am confident that we can deliver a strong performance worthy of Baniyas at the start of the season.”

Awana: Happy to be back and looking forward to a positive start in front of our fans

Captain Fawaz Awana expressed his excitement at the return of ADNOC Pro League action and confirmed the players’ readiness for the opening fixture against Al Ain.

“We are very happy to be back in league action. There is a lot of excitement among the players ahead of the new season, and everyone is looking forward to giving their best,” Awana said.

He added:
“It will be a difficult match against Al Ain. They are champions and had an excellent season without losing a league match. We respect their quality and understand the challenge ahead of us.”

Awana continued:
“Our preparations for the season have been very good. We worked hard throughout the previous period, and hopefully we can translate those preparations into a positive start in the league.”

Speaking about opening the season at home, the Baniyas captain said:
“We are very happy that our first match of the season will be at our home stadium. We have missed our fans and are looking forward to seeing them and having their support from the very beginning of the season.”

He concluded:
“Our fans are our real driving force and motivate us to give everything on the pitch. We hope to start the season positively and make them happy with our performance and result.”