Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Baghdad

Odisho delighted with Erbil victory in AFC Cup quarter-final

Odisho delighted with Erbil victory in AFC Cup quarter-final

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Erbil coach Ayob Odisho was delighted with the performance of his side on Tuesday as the Iraqi side grabbed the upper hand in their AFC Cup quarter-final against 2013 Vietnamese champions Hanoi T&T with a precious 1-0 away win at the Hang Day Stadium.

A close-range header by Amjed Radhi just before half-time made the difference for the 2012 runners-up who will look to defend their advantage in the return match at Sports City Stadium in Beirut next Tuesday.

“I am satisfied with the result because it’s just like what we expected before the game,” said Odisho.

“We had to face a really difficult situation because some of our good players left the club when our domestic league was interrupted in June. But the other players continued to train very hard with good motivation to progress as far as possible in this tournament.”

Despite the win, Odisho still feels that there is plenty of work to be done by his team in the second leg.

“Hanoi are a good team,” he said. “They were the winners of their group and they showed their good ability in this game. This victory was not easy for us but I believe that we have good chance now to advance to the semi-finals.”

Hanoi T&T coach Phan Thanh Hung felt that the recently concluded Vietnamese league season had taken its toll on his players.

“Erbil played very well tonight with very good concentration, good tactics and good organization. But most of my players did not play well in the first half because they were not in good physical condition after our long domestic season,” he said.

“It was a pity that our goalkeeper (Duong Hong Son) made a big mistake for their goal and that put us in a more difficult situation. But I think that my players tried their best in the second half to put pressure on our opponents.

“It was not a good result for us tonight but I think that we still have chance to progress to the next round if we will play well in the second leg.” /End/

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