Al-Hiraa's first football team faces a crucial match tomorrow, Friday, at King Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium in Al-Shara'i against Al-Oyoun Club, in the quarter-finals of the Fourth Division Championship, which qualifies teams for the Third Division. This match is of paramount importance to the Makkah-based team, as a 2-0 victory would secure their historic promotion to the Third Division for the first time in their history.
Al-Hira'a had suffered a 1-0 defeat in the first leg against Al-Oyoun in the Eastern Province, meaning a draw of any score would not be enough to secure promotion. Therefore, the team needs to win by two clear goals, or prevail in a penalty shootout, to clinch qualification and continue their historic dream of reaching the third division.
For his part, Hiraa's technical director, Captain Mohammed Al-Subhi, revealed that the technical and administrative staff had set a clear and explicit goal from the beginning of the season: to break free from the regional league, which Hiraa had been confined to since its founding. He explained that work began early to achieve this goal by strengthening the team with a number of experienced players, in addition to relying on a group of young players from the club's youth ranks.
Al-Subhi pointed out that the team's management was keen to recruit players with extensive experience in Saudi football, including Yasser Al-Fahmi, who played for Al-Ahli for several years, as well as Jeddah Club; Abdullah Al-Mutairi, formerly of Al-Faisaly; Majed Al-Hazani, who previously played for Al-Nassr, Al-Fateh, and Al-Raed; and Sultan Al-Dosari, who has experience with Al-Wahda, Al-Ahli, and Al-Qadisiyah. He emphasized that these players possess significant technical expertise that can help the team achieve its desired goal.
He added that the team also includes a group of promising young players from the club, such as Mohammed Ba’azim and Mohammed Fadda, in addition to the rest of the team members who performed well throughout the season and contributed to Hira’s reaching this advanced stage of the tournament.
Al-Subhi affirmed his optimism about achieving the club's historic first-ever promotion, noting that all of the team's matches played at King Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium in Al-Shara'i have ended in Al-Hira's favor, giving the players a significant morale boost before the crucial encounter. He also explained that the club's management has allocated financial rewards for each victory, a move aimed at motivating and supporting the players to achieve their desired goal. The coach concluded by emphasizing that the presence of fans from Mecca will play a vital role in supporting the team during this decisive match, pointing out that Mecca's sports fans, in all their diversity, have stood behind the team throughout the previous rounds, from the Round of 32 to the Round of 16, all the way to the quarterfinals. He added that the team needs even more moral support at this stage, stressing that the players understand the importance of the match and will not let this opportunity slip away, as it represents the culmination of a full season of hard work and ambition.
The Hurra football team is awaiting a pivotal match tomorrow, Friday, at the King Abdulaziz City Stadium in Al-Sharae, against their counterpart, Al-Oyoun Club, as part of the quarter-finals of the fourth division clubs championship qualifying for the third division. This match holds great significance for the Meccan team, as a victory by two goals to none will grant them a historic promotion to the ranks of the third division for the first time in their history.
Hurra had previously suffered a loss in the first leg against Al-Oyoun, with a score of one goal to none in the Eastern Province, which makes any draw insufficient to achieve the promotion goal. Therefore, the team needs to win by a margin of two clean goals or win through penalties to secure qualification and continue their historic dream of ascending to the third division.
For his part, the head coach of Hurra, Captain Mohammed Al-Sobhi, revealed that the technical and administrative staff set a clear and explicit goal at the beginning of the season, which is to break free from the regional league that Hurra has been bound to since its establishment. He explained that work began early to achieve this goal by reinforcing the team with several experienced players, in addition to relying on a group of young players from the club.
Al-Sobhi pointed out that the team management was keen to attract players with significant experience in Saudi stadiums, including Yasser Al-Fahmi, who represented Al-Ahli Club for several years, as well as Jeddah Club, in addition to Abdullah Al-Mutairi, a former player of Al-Faisaly, and Majid Al-Hazani, who previously represented Al-Nasr, Al-Fateh, and Al-Raed clubs, not to mention Sultan. Al-Dosari, who has had experiences with Al-Wehda, Al-Ahli, and Al-Qadisiyah clubs. He confirmed that these names possess substantial technical expertise that can help the team achieve its desired goal.
He added that the team also includes a group of promising young talents from the club, such as Mohammed Baazim and Mohammed Fadda, along with the rest of the team members who have shown good performances throughout the season and contributed to Hurra reaching this advanced stage of the tournament.
Al-Sobhi affirmed that he is optimistic about the possibility of achieving the dream of promotion for the first time in the club's history, noting that all of the team's matches held at the King Abdulaziz City Stadium in Al-Sharae have ended in favor of Hurra, which provides the players with significant moral support before the decisive match. He also explained that the club's management has allocated financial rewards for each victory, in a move aimed at motivating the players and supporting them morally to achieve the desired goal. The head coach concluded his remarks by emphasizing that the presence of fans from Mecca will play an important role in supporting the team during this crucial match, pointing out that the sports fans of Mecca, in all their components, stood behind the team during the previous rounds, whether in the Round of 32 or the Round of 16, leading up to the quarter-finals. He added that the team needs more moral support at this stage, affirming that the players understand the importance of the match and will not squander this opportunity, as it represents for them the culmination of an entire season of work and ambition.
