AFC Champions League Elite
The Albanian midfielder struck twice inside the opening 11 minutes to lay the foundation as the Islamic Republic of Iran side secured their first win following two consecutive draws while UAE’s Sharjah lost their unbeaten record.
#ACLElite | Sharjah FC (UAE) 0-5 Tractor FC (IRN)
“I’m very happy that we won today,” said Lushkja. “I want to thank all my teammates and the coach for giving me the opportunity to play.
“I’m really happy for the team because without everyone, we couldn’t have won this game. We played against a very good team and I’m just very happy to get the win here.”
Head coach Dragan Skocic was equally delighted and praised his players for executing the game plan to perfection.
“It’s a great moment for my players, for everyone in the club, and for the staff. I think we played a great game - everything we planned to do, we did,” said Skocic. “We limited the opponents’ attacks even though they have quality players up front and we managed to create problems for them.
“I’m really happy for my team. They truly deserve this. In some games this season we’ve been unlucky but today, we showed our quality and proved that no one should forget about us in this competition.”
Head coach Milos Milojevic took responsibility for Sharjah’s defeat.
“Unfortunately, the result could have been even worse. We started very poorly in every aspect. They were more organised and looked more like a team. Honestly, they deserved to win against us,” said Milojevic.
“This is not about bad luck - it’s a disaster for Sharjah and for football in the Emirates. It’s unacceptable. Of course, I feel very bad about it. I take full responsibility for this defeat. I was the one who chose the players and decided how we would play. I can’t blame anyone else.”
Sharjah will look to redeem themselves against Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad Club on November 4 while Tractor will aim for a second win when they face Iraq’s Al Shorta a day earlier.
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