Surprising Upset: Al-Nassr Coach Yokanovich Reflects on Bani Yas Match Controversy

Al Nassr coach Slavisa Jokanovic didn't hold back after his team crashed out of the UAE President's Cup, losing 2-0 to Bani Yas in the round of 16. The Serbian manager called the performance "strange" and said he couldn't explain what went wrong on the pitch.

"Honestly, I don't know what to say," Jokanovic told reporters after the match. "The players showed nothing memorable on the field. They didn't create any attacking threat that would suggest we had a team that wanted to win. Luka was missing, and with him, Al Nassr was missing too."

The coach was referring to a key player's absence, but he refused to use it as an excuse. "Yes, Luka is an important player, but he's not the entire team. Football is a team sport, not an individual one. What happened today is unbelievable. I can't find any explanation for the poor performance across all lines."

Jokanovic made it clear he wasn't looking for easy answers. "I'm not searching for excuses. I can't blame the loss on one missing player. This isn't tennis or boxing - we have a complete team that should have performed at a level worthy of Al Nassr's name."

The defeat marks the second consecutive year Al Nassr has been eliminated at this stage of the President's Cup. For a club with championship ambitions, going out in the round of 16 two years running raises questions about the team's mental strength in knockout competitions.

The coach took full responsibility for the result. "I accept complete responsibility and will work to analyze what happened to understand the real reasons behind this poor showing. It's difficult to accept going out of the tournament this way, but we must face reality and start working quickly to fix our mistakes."

This early cup exit puts additional pressure on Al Nassr's domestic league campaign. The team's fans are already questioning the squad's ability to compete on multiple fronts this season, especially when key players are unavailable.