Ex-Barcelona defender’s assessment of Pitso Mosimane’s derby victory

A former Barcelona defender has given his assessment of Pitso Mosimane’s Al Wahda’s derby victory in the UAE Pro League.

Mosimane’s side beat Thulani Serero’s former club, Al Jazira, 2-1 in the Abu Dhabi derby.

It was Mosimane’s first league win after starting the season on a losing note. They lost the opening match of the season 2-1 to Al Bataeh before bouncing back against Frank De Boer’s side.

The former Barcelona defender, De Boer, who is the manager of Al Jazira, said that the flow of the game did not reflect the result.

He said Pitso Mosimane’s charges did not win the tie “because they were the best” on the night.

“We didn’t lose because we were the worst, and Al-Wahda didn’t win because they were the best,” De Boer said.

De Boer’S VERDICT Mosimane’s side

“Al-Wahda took advantage of our poor handling of set pieces to score their two goals. And the weather affected the overall performance of both teams.”

The match was played in hot and humid conditions. And De Boer felt that the referee did not add enough injury time.

“Although I don’t like playing in such tough weather conditions, I understand the perspective of the organisers of the UAE Pro League,” De Boer added.

“However, I believe that the match referee didn’t add enough injury time. We had a few chances to equalise in the final minutes, but we were denied by the referee’s whistle.”

Mosimane, on the other hand, said, “Both teams played a strong game, deserving to be called the Abu Dhabi Derby”.

He added: “We achieved an important victory in a big match, at a good time after losing the first round against Al Bataeh.

“It’s a splendid victory and came with a good read of the opponent and success in stopping the danger of Al-Jazeera’s top scorer, Ali Mabkhout.

“I am pleased with the players’ response shown against Al-Jazeera after the loss in the opening round, and I’m happy for the joy of Al-Wahda’s fans with the win.”