Al-Wahda player Sasa Ivkovic confirmed that the team enters today's match against Al Ain in the ADNOC Pro-League with a clear mindset, focusing solely on winning. He stated that victory reopens the door for 'The Yellows' to compete for the top spot in the league table. 'Al-Wahda' always aims to secure three points from the first whistle, and a draw or any other result does not align with the team's ambitions. Every match is played with a mindset of full victory, applying Al-Wahda's known style of discipline and control over the game's flow. Ivkovic added that the team is focused on collective and tactical play, and the players are ready for the challenges posed by a strong opponent like Al Ain. The match against Al Ain is a real test of the team's ability to compete in the league. Al-Wahda's mentality is built on winning; we put all our efforts into achieving victory in every match, and that is our motto. The defender emphasized the importance of the upcoming stage, explaining that facing the current league leader makes winning essential for Al-Wahda to maintain its position in the title race. If we want to stay close to the top, there is no alternative to winning. We are fully aware that the task will not be easy, which is why we must prepare perfectly, step by step, day by day, with full focus on performance on the field. Ivkovic noted that Al-Wahda is still in the circle of contention for the title despite dropping some points, and stressed that every remaining match is of paramount importance. 'Nothing is decided yet, there are many matches left, anything is possible, and from now on, every match is a final for us.' He continued: 'The goal is clear and fixed in every confrontation, whether we are playing against Al Ain, Sharjah, or any other team, and that is to win only. We do not look at the names of the opponents; we focus on giving our best in every encounter.' Regarding Al-Wahda's last match against Sharjah, which ended 1-1, Ivkovic confirmed that the result did not satisfy the team, stressing the difficulty of the match and the high level of the opponent. 'It's true the match ended in a draw, but we did not enter it for one point. We wanted to win from the first minute, and that is our thinking always.' He emphasized that the team's respect for all opponents does not conflict with focusing on the single goal on the field, which is three points. 'We respect everyone, but when the match starts, there is only one goal, and that is to win, away from side stories or past relationships.' He concluded his statements by highlighting Al-Wahda's determination and the players' insistence on continuing the competition until the final round of the league. 'We will continue to fight until the end and will try to win every match, because that is what the Al-Wahda motto and the club's history require. Our focus was on the match only and how to win it. We did not think about the identity of the opposing coach or any personal matters. The match was full of physical and technical challenges, Sharjah presented a strong and organized performance, which made the encounter difficult, full of physical duels and constant effort throughout the ninety minutes.' He explained: 'We tried to impose our style in different periods of the match, but some small details prevented us from deciding the match in our favor, and it is these details that sometimes make the difference.' The player denied that any emotional or historical factor affected the team's performance due to facing their former coach, Jose Morais, confirming that Al-Wahda's focus was on performance and achieving victory only. 'There was no additional feeling or special emotion.'
