AFC Champions League Elite
Houssine Rahimi’s brace led the former champions to a second successive win, having defeated Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr Club 4-0 in their opener.
#ACLElite | Air Force SC (IRQ) 1-4 Al Ain FC (UAE)
“Congratulations to my players. We came here to win and played good football in the first half, creating plenty of chances,” said Ivic. “We controlled the second half but at times, we created problems for ourselves.
“We must stay fully focused from start to finish. Our lapses allowed the opposition to score, win a penalty and create chances too easily.”
Two defeats have left Air Force head coach Rasheed Jabar with plenty to address, although he took encouragement from his side’s improved second half performance.
“The match was decided in the opening 15 minutes. It was a difficult game and we tried to make adjustments in the second half,” said Jabar. “I knew this would be a tough match. Congratulations to them.
“The changes in the second half gave us more movement but it is difficult to come back from 4-0 down against a team with players of that quality.
“The positive was that we produced an acceptable performance in the second half, both individually and as a team. We can build on that but we must learn from this match.”
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