The technical staff and players of Al-Zawraa Club held a press conference following the valuable 2-1 victory over Al-Shorta in the summit of the 28th round of the Iraqi Stars League. Coach Luay Salah and defender Abdullah Naseeb discussed the details and technical and moral dimensions of the victory, while also directing some refereeing observations.

Al-Zawraa coach Luay Salah began by confirming that his team entered the match with high readiness despite the difficulty of the task against the runner-up. He said: 'We prepared and got ready for the match well despite its difficulty. The players were responsible and implemented what we asked of them.'

Salah praised his team's performance in the first half specifically: 'We had many opportunities and were the better side in the first half, scoring two goals. In the second half, we defended well and organized against Al-Shorta's attempts and succeeded in maintaining the result.'

The coach of 'The Gulls' considered that the match against Al-Shorta was a turning point in the team's course this season: 'This match was pivotal for us, and winning it gives us a big boost. We will reassess our calculations in the upcoming rounds, and the competition for advanced positions is still open.'

Luay Salah did not hold back in praising his competitor Moamen Suleiman, Al-Shorta's coach, confirming his respect for the mindset he carries: 'Al-Shorta coach Moamen Suleiman has a high mindset, and I admire his way of managing matches on the field. Al-Shorta is a big team, and our matches with them are always strong.'

However, Salah expressed his discontent with some refereeing decisions that accompanied the match, especially the penalty awarded to Al-Shorta in the second half. He commented: 'The penalty, in my view, was not fair, and the additional time the referee counted was exaggerated. Despite that, the players handled all circumstances professionally.'

Salah concluded by pointing out the development witnessed in the team's performance: 'We imposed our identity and personality on the field and presented good football regardless of the opponent's name. The most important thing is that the team has started enjoying football, which is very important at this point in the season.'

For his part, Al-Zawraa defender Abdullah Naseeb confirmed that the victory over Al-Shorta was deserved, attributing the credit to two main factors: 'We achieved a deserved victory thanks to our fans who supported us from the first minute, and thanks to the team spirit that appeared on the field.'

Naseeb spoke about working with coach Luay Salah despite the short period: 'We worked for a short period with coach Luay Salah, who has a high mindset. Despite the short duration, our response as players was high, and we quickly adapted to his style of play and ideas.'

He confirmed that Al-Zawraa was the better side in most periods of the derby: 'We were the better side in the confrontation, controlled the first half, and scored two goals. Even after Al-Shorta reduced the difference, we defended as one unit. The competition is still open, and we will fight in every upcoming match.'

The victory over Al-Shorta raised Al-Zawraa's tally to 51 points in fifth place, breaking the series of three draws that haunted the team. The statements of Luay Salah and Abdullah Naseeb reflected great relief inside the white camp and a desire to build on this victory during the remaining six rounds of the Iraqi Stars League.