Al-Wasl goalkeeper Khaled Al-Snani praised the team's coach, Portuguese Rui Vitória, who has led the 'Emperor' in recent days and succeeded in keeping the team from losing, starting with the match against Al-Zawraa in the AFC Champions League 2, followed by the Dubai derby against Al-Ahli yesterday, in the 18th round of the Pro League, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Al-Snani said in his press statements after the derby, which saw a huge turnout from both sides: 'My testimony for coach Rui Vitória is wounded; he is a smart coach who knows how to deal with players, whether they are veterans or newcomers, and he gives everything he has for the team.' Al-Snani regretted leaving the derby match with a draw despite being ahead by a goal and said: 'We tried to maintain the lead, and all the players gave everything they had, but our opponent exploited a small gap and managed to equalize.' Al-Wasl had stopped their neighbor's winning streak in the league after forcing them to a draw yesterday at Za'abel Stadium, a result that boosted the 'Emperor' to fourth place with 30 points, while it was a blow to Al-Ahli, who raised their tally to 42 points at the top, awaiting Al-Ain's match with their host, Khorfakkan.
