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Al Jazira coach Abel Braga said that the bad start shouldn't set off the alarm bells just yet and added that he was pleased with the team's showing despite being a man down.
Braga's first match on his return to The Pride of Abu Dhabi ended in a 2-1 defeat to Al Wasl in the Arabian Gulf League at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on Friday night.
What made matters worse was Al Jazira were down to 10 men for majority of the game after Musallem Fayez was sent off on 23 minutes.
"I'm happy with the performance of my players. They did a good job considering the situation we were in. But I'm a touch sad as well because for the first time in my life, I lose my first match. But this is football," Braga said after the game.
"After Musallem was sent off, we struggled and we could not score. But we managed to play a good game. I sent (Jefferson) Farfan at the back to cover for Musallem's absence. It was very difficult for us but we managed to recover from it," he added.
And the Brazilian was quick to credit Al Wasl and said the The Cheetahs deserved the victory. "Al Wasl played a very good game and deserved the win. We have to work harder and bounce back from this loss," the 62-year-old said.
Meanwhile, Al Wasl coach Gabriel Calderon said that his team did a fantastic job. "I want to congratulate my players. They did a fantastic job. The weather was a problem but the players gave their maximum. I think we deserved to win this game," said Calderon.
"I respect Al Jazira and they are a very strong side. They have a very good coach and very good players. It was not an easy match. I remember, last year, we conceded four goals twice. We controlled the game but Al Jazira, with their individual qualities, were always going to be dangerous," he added.
james@khaleejtimes.com
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