Ivankovic: Oman is under pressure from the fans

Basra (DPA)

Croatian Branko Ivankovic, coach of the Omani national team, said that his team was affected by the large crowd atmosphere at the Basra International Stadium, during the match that ended in a goalless draw against his Iraqi counterpart, at the opening of the Gulf Football Cup in Basra, Iraq.

The coach of the Omani national team added, in a press conference after the match, that his team was subjected to great public pressure, and that this caused his team to be affected at the beginning of the match, pointing to the superiority of the Iraqi team in most of the match periods.
Branko added that his team succeeded later in getting used to the atmosphere of the match and the stadium, and played well, in light of the Iraqi pressure throughout the match. He explained that most of the Omani national team players experienced an exceptional atmosphere in that match, which will benefit the team in the upcoming matches. When asked about the reason for his team’s reticence throughout the match, Branko said that the pressure of the opponent played a big role in that.
A negative tie prevailed over the confrontation between Iraq and Oman in the opening of the “Gulf 25”. The second round of the first group witnessed two confrontations, the first between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, and the second between Oman and Yemen.