Abdul Ghani Shahid, the coach of Al-Zawraa team, clung to the dream of competing in the AFC Champions League 2, despite the loss his team suffered against Saudi Al-Nassr with a score of (0-2) in the match held at Al-Zawraa Stadium on Wednesday evening as part of the second round of the group stage.

Shahid confirmed in the press conference following the match that Al-Nassr's superiority came thanks to the individual and technical capabilities of its players, explaining: "The goals scored by Al-Nassr came as a result of the great abilities of its stars, who are among the top players in the world. It is natural for them to be favored to win more than us, but I thank Al-Zawraa players for their heroic performance. They tried to show a level that befits the name and continental reputation of the club."

He added: "We played a good match, but some players still need a deeper understanding of the concept of teamwork, and the tactical aspect for some of them is still weak. We are continuously working on improving performance, and we will ensure to show a better image in the upcoming matches at both local and continental levels."

He continued: "The preparation for facing Al-Nassr did not exceed two days, which is unreasonable against a team of the size of the Saudi champion. Our start to the season has not been ideal, and the intensity of matches has greatly affected the team's situation. We need to rearrange the cards and address the mistakes, and this is what the coaching staff is striving for in the upcoming period."

Shahid emphasized that Al-Zawraa's goal does not stop at facing Al-Nassr, but extends to competing with the other teams in the group to secure a qualification spot, saying: "Al-Nassr is one of the best teams in the region, but our goal in this group is not just to keep up with them, but to gather as many points as possible from the other matches. We still have 4 matches ahead of us, and we will fight for qualification."

He concluded his remarks by saying: "I am generally satisfied with the team's performance, despite the mistakes we made. We showed strength, especially at the beginning of the match, but physical fitness did not help us maintain the same pace. We will reconsider many things and start preparing directly for the anticipated derby match against Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya before the international break."

With this loss, Al-Zawraa's points remain at 3, in second place, ahead of Istiklol Dushanbe on goal difference, while Al-Nassr continued to lead Group D with a full score.