Mamic praises Al-Ain’s fighting spirit
Zoran Mamic praised his Al-Ain players’ grit and determination after they came back from a 3-0 deficit to beat Team Wellington on penalties in the FIFA World Club Cup.
Playing at home “The Boss” looked anything but menacing, as the amateurs from New Zealand took a shock three-goal lead after 44 minutes. But strikes from Tsukasa Shiotani and Tongo Doumbia gave the hosts hope. Then substitute Marcus Berg came off the bench to grab the equalizer with just five minutes to go to set up extra-time. Two tired teams were unable to force a winner in the extra 30 minutes and Al-Ain held their nerve to win the shootout 4-3.
Mamic’s men were supposed to brush past the Kiwis, but the Al-Ain coach said the manner of the win could stand them in good stead going into the quarterfinals and possibly beyond.
“I am so proud of my players and their determination and fighting spirit that led them to achieve the desired goal and qualify for the quarterfinal stage when they were able to beat the visiting team, New Zealand’s Team Wellington,” Zoran said.
“We missed the factors of concentration and confidence in certain parts of the match, giving the opponent the chance to take the lead by three clean goals. However, Shiotani’s goal in the last minutes of the first half gave us the push and the power to return to the match and the team’s reaction was up to expectations.”
The home side now face Tunisian side Esperance Sportive de Tunis at their Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium tomorrow, knowing they will have to play much better to stand a chance of playing Real Madrid in the last-four.
Esperance are making their first appearance at the tournament since 2011 and are all too aware that Al-Ain will pose a big threat to their dream of facing the Spanish giants.
“Without a doubt Al-Ain will have a lot of supporters in the stands and that will give them a boost … it will be a tough match.”
For Team Wellington it was a case of what might have been. While they were gutted to let slip the three-goal advantage Aaron Clapham said he and his teammates could hold their heads up high.
“It’s a mixture of disappointment and pride,” the midfielder said. “I’m really proud of the team – everyone involved. It’s heartbreaking to lose on penalties. But we’re really proud of the way we played.”