We went through a difficult week. The victory over Khor Fakkan required a lot of focus from us

Al Wahda team goalkeeper, Mohammed Al Shamsi, said that the team went through a difficult week following the continental loss to Al Gharafa of Qatar in the last round of the AFC Champions League for Elite Football, stressing at the same time his happiness with the valuable victory that the team achieved with a clean goal over Khor Fakkan, this evening, in the tenth round of the ADNOC Professional League, explaining that the victory required a high degree of focus from them.

In press statements following the victory, Al Shamsi praised the team’s spirit and solidarity during a difficult period that “Al Annabi” went through, praising the support of the players and the technical and administrative staff, and pointing out that overcoming the consequences of the continental loss was not easy.

He said: “I would like to thank my fellow players and the technical and administrative staff, because we went through a difficult week. After losing to Al-Gharafa of Qatar in the AFC Elite Champions League, it is difficult for everything to be in your favor or for you to be at your best, but we are determined to continue our journey and achieve one victory after another.”

He pointed out that maintaining a single-goal lead against Khor Fakkan imposed major challenges on the defensive system, stressing that the last minutes required the highest levels of concentration, especially in light of the opponent’s pressure.

He added: “When you are ahead by a single goal, things become difficult for the goal, and the defense and goalkeeper need to redouble their efforts. In the last four minutes, we were under great pressure from the Khor Fakkan players.”

The Al Wahda goalkeeper touched on the team’s record of not losing in 21 consecutive matches, with 13 victories and 8 draws, explaining that this series was the result of work that began last season.

He said: “Since last season, Al-Wahda was eliminated early from all tournaments, but since that period we have been working to correct the picture, and we come together to find out what we are missing, and we continue to work despite the difficult circumstances. Everyone knows that Al-Wahda lagged behind in some aspects, but the players and management are working together to correct the mistakes.”

The victory contributed to strengthening the position of “The Excellencies” in second place on the standings with 21 points, with a postponed match. Regarding the possibility of translating this series into titles during the current season, Al Shamsi merely emphasized the philosophy of work and diligence, saying: “Every diligent person has a share, and we will reap what we work for.”

On the other hand, the captain of the Khorfakkan team, Ahmed Hamdan, confirmed that his team performed well, especially in the first half, despite the difficult circumstances that some players faced, noting that the small details decided the outcome of the match.

He said: “The first half we were the better side, and other than the penalty kick that Al Wahda won and scored from, we were reaching the goal, but some of the players were suffering from the flu, and they did not fall short, and they made great sacrifices, and we thank them for that. Our goal was to achieve victory or at least come out with a draw.”