KHALED ISSA… WORDS AND DEEDS
Al Ain’s “international” goalkeeper Khaled Issa said he was delighted to be awarded the title of the “Man of the Match” by the AFC in the recent confrontation against Iranian Zob Ahan Esfahan. He stressed that “I think the award is a great honor for me since I am a member of one of the best clubs in the continent starred by football stars under the command of “Amouri”, Ismail, Ajab, Caio and others. Receiving the Award of “Man of the Match” in the presence of those names is my biggest incentive and motive to be the best.”
Khaled Issa considered that the title of the “Man of the Match” would not have been possible without the efforts of his teammates, the technical and administrative staff and the goalkeepers coach. He stated, “Personally, qualifying means a lot to me and cannot compare the team’s strong results with any personal award. I wish my team the best of luck during the coming stages.”
Khaled Issa confirmed that Al Ain’s qualification in the group stage is normal. We have used during the past three editions to pass the group stage successfully. However, the taste of qualification in the current edition is completely different compared to the difficult conditions experienced by the team which we have not experienced before. We are missing seven players due to injury and we failed to achieve the results required at the local level. Everyone is aware and know these circumstances, but Al Ain is a team of different level, especially when it comes to represent UAE they always show their genuine charisma and strive to honor the UAE ball.
He continued saying, “Yes, we qualified for the 16th Round, but Al Ain’s ambition is much greater than qualifying for a certain stage in the continental competition. As players, we are well aware of what we want to do to make our fans happy.”
In his comment on a question regarding a statement made by Zob Ahan’s striker on Al Ain’s weak point in defense line, he said, “Any team in the football world has a weak point, but Al Ain’s personality prevailed. Indeed, we have won and they have failed to score.” He added, “We won the match on their field and among their fans. I hope they will focus very well on their team. My teammates have proved it both “Words and Deeds” that they are up to the confidence and able to face any challenge.”
He thanked Coach Zoran, who was able to push the players to the limits to be fully ready, restore their full energy and fill the gaps in the lines of the team. Exactly as he promised Al Ain’s fans to perform better in the coming stages of the continental championship.
When asked if he thinks that his performance in this match is similar to what he showed in the past matches, he replied, “In the past period, the team all in all suffered from a decline in their performance, and this is normal and may happen to any player in the world. However, we have to exert more diligence and determination during training sessions to restore our normal status. We should look at our recent match against Zob Ahan as a good return for the team and a good starting point for the rest of our matches in this season.”
