After his debut with Zob Ahan, in a 1-0 win at home against Pars Jonoubi Jam, Mehdi Khalil gave an interview about his performance and his time at the club:
Great saves, tell us about your debut
“First of all, of course, thank God, and thanks to my teammates. They did a very good job today, especially the defensive line. We all worked together as a team. It was a tough match, they pressed us at the end of the game, but we were solid at the back, we kept a clean sheet, we scored the goal in the first-half and we got the 3 points. That was the most important thing.”
Tell us about your reunion with Radulovic
“Coach Radulovic and I had a very good history in the past with the Lebanese national team. We made good results, we qualified for the AFC Asian Cup together, and it’s good to be back with him here. He knows me, how I play, he understands me. We both helped the Lebanese national team to achieve good results and improved the [FIFA] ranking a bit. Now we are here to do the same, hopefully. We will always fight as a team, to do good results and make positive performances. Hopefully, we can get Zob Ahan to the position they deserve to be in.”
You are the fourth Lebanese player of Zob Ahan, after Walid Ismail, Rabih Ataya, and Ali Hamam. Did you ask them anything before coming here?
“Actually, Ali Hamam is the reason I came here. He gave my CV to one of his agents, who helped me come to Zob Ahan. I think the President and Vice-President looked at my CV, and at my videos. Because last season, I did a very good performance with my ex-club Al Ahed FC: we won the AFC Cup, I kept 9 clean sheets in 12 games in the tournament, and I was the MVP player there. I want to thank Ali Hamam and his agent for bringing me here, and I will try to achieve the same results [the other Lebanese players] did at Zob Ahan.”
