Al-Zawraa coach Louay Salah emphasized the difficulty of the current phase and described the remaining rounds of the Iraqi Stars League as 'exceptional and exhausting,' during the press conference preceding his team's match against Duhok tomorrow, Friday, at Al-Zawraa Stadium in the 32nd round.

Salah began his speech by saying: 'The last league matches are exceptional and exhausting, played in less than a month,' referring to the pressure of the match schedule and the closeness of the dates before the end of the season.

He confirmed that the mental factor will be decisive in this phase: 'We need high mental endurance and great focus, especially in front of the goal.' A clear message to his players after wasting many opportunities in the recent 2-2 draw against Amanat Baghdad, which cost the team two valuable points in the battle for the top four.

Salah did not underestimate the upcoming opponent and praised Duhok's strength: 'Duhok is a respectable team and not easy, and playing against Al-Zawraa is different for them.' The tenth team with 41 points has proven this season that it can embarrass the big teams, having drawn 0-0 with Al-Zawraa in the first leg.

The 'Nawras' coach explained the importance of tomorrow's meeting in determining the team's path in the remaining six rounds: 'Tomorrow's match is very important and will be a gateway to the rest of the challenges.' A win will give Al-Zawraa 61 points and bring them closer to securing fourth place before the anticipated match against Al-Shorta in two rounds.

Despite the difficult circumstances and absences, Salah expressed great confidence in his team's capabilities: 'I am assured of the team's level no matter the opponent, for we are Al-Zawraa.' A statement reflecting the team's character, which refuses to give up regardless of the circumstances.

On his part, Al-Zawraa player Hussein Falah admitted that the team missed a deserved victory against Amanat Baghdad: 'We lost two points against Amanat Baghdad despite having a significant advantage due to missed opportunities.' Al-Zawraa led twice in that match but conceded an equalizer in the 94th minute.

Falah stressed that focus is the key to the next phase: 'We need great focus in the last rounds to compensate for the fatigue of match pressure.' The pressure of matches and physical fatigue were clearly evident on Al-Zawraa players in the last minutes of recent games.

Regarding Duhok, he said: 'We respect Duhok, which has good players, and we are only thinking of winning.' A message confirming that the team enters the match aiming for three points and nothing else.

Falah did not deny the impact of absences on the team's performance: 'The abundance of injuries and absences affected us, and we must deal with them correctly.' Al-Zawraa lost several key players in recent weeks, and Salah had to rely on substitutes in more than one position.

Al-Zawraa enters the match in fourth place with 58 points and seeks victory to distance itself from Talaba, who is in fifth place. Any new stumble will reset the calculations for the top four, especially as the end approaches.