Following the 0-0 draw between Andijan and Al Kholdiya in the AFC Champions League-2, Bahrain's head coach, Ali Ashur, shared his impressions of his team's performance, the opponent's activity, and Andijan fans at a press conference.
Ashur stated that his team acted according to plan, but was not fully satisfied with the result:
"I wouldn't be wrong to say that we lost two points in today's match. Both teams played for victory, but a draw was the most correct result. We tried to keep the game under control from the very beginning, we spun the ball more. However, sometimes planned tactics don't always work. We lost the advantage in the center of the field a little. In the first half, the opponent's number 23 player (Doniyor Abdumannopov) posed a significant threat with his speed. Therefore, during the break, I instructed my students to be careful on the wings. In the second half, we worked in this direction and eliminated the danger," he said.
The coach also commented on the team's active performance in the first half, which then declined:
"In the first minutes, my players were seriously committed to scoring goals. However, haste led to some minor mistakes. When the opponent launched dangerous attacks from the wings, our team switched to caution. For this reason, the speed decreased at the end of the first half. We fixed this aspect during the break."
Ashur also confirmed his previous thoughts about "Andijan":
"As I said before the match, Andijan has an experienced coach and high-quality players. They played very actively on their home field with the support of the fans. We expected this. Notably, player number 23 and team captain - number 18 Damir Temirov played well. I was surprised when they were replaced, but those who replaced them also performed their duties well. Overall, we were prepared for the opponent's aggressive play."
The head coach also commented on the return match:
"On November 5th, we will host Andijan in Bahrain. Of course, that game will be different. However, our attention is currently focused on the match against Al Ahli on October 29th. After this match, we will begin preparations for the match against Andijan."
Ali Ashur expressed warm thoughts about Andijan fans and the city environment:
"Today's fans were really amazing. Their energy was felt on the field. I really liked the atmosphere at the "Bobur Arena," the stadium, the city. I am returning from Andijan with great impressions. Both the food and the hospitality of the people are wonderful. We welcome our Uzbek friends who arrived for the return meeting in Bahrain with the same warmth."
These words of the head coach of "Al Kholdiya" once again demonstrated the culture of mutual respect and competition between the two teams. Andijan fans, through such an attitude, were able to further strengthen their love for their team.
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