Hussein Abdul Wahid comments after draw against Newroz

After a strong encounter that ended in a 1-1 draw between Al-Shorta and Newroz at Al-Qafas Stadium in the 12th round of the Iraq Stars League, head coach Hussein Abdul Wahid and player Abdullah Basim appeared at the post-match press conference to explain the technical reasons behind the loss of two points and the behind-the-scenes impact of continental fatigue on the team's performance.

Al-Shorta's coach Hussein Abdul Wahid expressed his dissatisfaction with the draw, stating that the team's goal was to secure all three points to continue their push for the top.

Abdul Wahid said during the press conference:

"Thank God for everything. The result is certainly unsatisfactory for us and for our fans who came to support us. We started the match excellently and imposed our control, but Newroz's sudden goal threw our plans off a bit. Although we managed to quickly equalize through Mohanad Ali, we did not take advantage of the chances that came our way in the second half."

He added regarding physical fatigue and the schedule:

"There is no doubt that the intense match schedule and continuous continental participation have affected the players' physical performance in the second half. Playing a match every three days requires extra effort, and our opponent Newroz is a very respectable team that has excelled in closing spaces and defending intelligently. We will work to address these mistakes quickly and rectify the situation in the upcoming rounds."

Al-Shorta midfielder Abdullah Basim expressed his regret at the team only taking one point from the match, stressing that the players did everything they could on the field.

Abdullah Basim stated:

"We apologize to our fans who were expecting us to win today. We aimed to collect three points and confirm our recent victory in the derby, but the circumstances of the match and physical exhaustion, not to mention the defensive discipline of Newroz, prevented us from achieving that."

The player concluded his remarks by saying:

"The league is still long and the competition is fierce among the top teams. A draw, despite its bitterness, is better than a loss, and we will quickly turn the page on the Newroz match to focus on preparing for the next encounter to return swiftly to winning ways and make our fans happy."

The statements from Hussein Abdul Wahid and Abdullah Basim reflect the realism of the coaching staff and players in assessing the situation and the impact of the pressure from the schedule, while emphasizing the need for swift action to correct the course.