Al-Nasr coach Slavisa Jokanovic revealed that the decision not to start midfielder Mehdi Qaedi in the match against Al-Wasl, which ended in a 1-1 draw, was tactical. «The decision not to start Mehdi Qaedi was due to the game plan,» Jokanovic said at a press conference. «He only resumed training the day before yesterday after suffering from a fever and high temperature.» «Al-Nasr played a good match, and the players fought hard for the win,» he added. «Although I don't believe in luck, we were not fortunate in this game.» «Our players showed a great desire to follow instructions, and we need to return to training with greater focus to prepare for our next match against Al-Ain.» Meanwhile, Al-Wasl coach Masoud Miral responded to repeated questions about his future with the club, saying: «When Al-Wasl signs a coach who can develop the team, I will be very happy.» «We played a good match against Al-Nasr,» Miral added. «We tried to play more cautiously at the beginning, especially since Al-Nasr used a different set of new players, and we needed to get used to the opponent's style.» «We created a number of chances in the first half, and at halftime we talked to the players about the need for focus, as we didn't have the same spaces as in the first half. I am happy with the performance and the great desire shown by the Al-Wasl players in the second half to equalize.»
