After the defeat, Jorge Jesus explains Sadio Mané's absence against Al-Qadisiyah

03.05.26 FT Pro League Saudi Arabia

Al Qadsiah

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Al Nassr FC

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Al-Nassr head coach Jorge Jesus addressed his decision not to field Senegalese star Sadio Mané during the match against Al-Qadisiyah.

In a stunning twist, Al-Qadisiyah pulled off a well-deserved upset, defeating Al-Nassr 3-1 on Sunday night in Matchday 31 of the Saudi Pro League.

The Portuguese tactician opted to rest his player due to fitness concerns, aiming to avoid any risk of aggravation with decisive fixtures looming at the end of the season. Al-Nassr is set to face crucial clashes against Al-Shabab, Al-Hilal, and Damac in the coming weeks.

Jesus explains Mané's absence against Al-Qadisiyah

In his post-match press conference, Jorge Jesus justified his decision: "I decided to give Mané a rest. He’s been the most used player this season and recently suffered a health issue after returning from a team assignment."

He added: "Rotation has involved several players, including Cristiano Ronaldo."

With this victory, Al-Qadisiyah brought an end to Al-Nassr's remarkable 20-match winning streak across all competitions. The match was held at the Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium.

Saudi Pro League: Sadio Mané closer than ever to a first title with Al-Nassr

Mohamed Rek |

Editorfr, ar, en

Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.

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