The coach of Al Jazira, Dutchman Marinko Pusic, expressed his happiness at his team's victory over Al Wasl yesterday with a score of 2-1 in added time. He described this match as 'dramatic', especially considering that 'Pride of Abu Dhabi' was preparing for a penalty shootout, but scored the winning goal in the 90+6 minute, which allowed them to advance to the semi-final of the Professional League Cup (Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank Cup). This tournament will also feature matches between Al Ain and Al Nasr. Pusic said in a press statement: 'Many things happened in this match, it was a cup match, and we enjoyed it. We were the best in the first half, and in the second half we were more effective. Both teams had a desire to win. We were preparing for a penalty shootout, but it was great to achieve victory in such a dramatic way.' He added: 'VAR canceled three of our goals, and as the final minutes approached, we expected the match to go to penalties, before we could successfully take advantage of the last chance in the match and come out with a win.' Regarding the upcoming derby against Al Ahli, Pusic said: 'Derby matches are always important, and we aim to present the required performance against Al Ahli, despite the difficulty of the task. Al Ahli has a good team, and we strive to appear in the best possible light, especially as our team develops week after week, and we await what the result will be.' On the other hand, Al Wasl's coach, Massoud Miral, apologized to the team's fans after the defeat, stressing the need for hard work in the coming period, especially on the physical side, to save the rest of the season. Miral said in a press statement: 'Al Jazira was the better side in the first half, but in the second half, we began to take the initiative and create danger, but without translating it into goals.' He added: 'One of the main points I mentioned earlier is that the team suffers in the final minutes of matches in terms of physical fitness, and we will try during the break to focus on strengthening the physical aspect and attempting to save the season.'
