Al Ain coach Zoran Mamic said the astonishing AFC Champions League win over Esteghlal was the 'best of the season'.

"It was a tough confrontation. The concentration of the players at the same level throughout the game was crucial," the coach said during the post match press conference early on Tuesday.

Mamic said he had confidence in the ability of the players to achieve the desired results to qualify in the quarterfinals. However, the 6-1 margin was 'unexpected'.

"We had to show our best against the Iranian opposition and we did."

He noted the team will work on ways to get positive results in the tournament.

On midfielder Lee Myung-Joo leaving the team, he said: "I'm not happy to let him go but we have to deal with the reality. He has national duty to fulfil in Korea."

Meanwhile, playmaker Omar Abdulrahman said he was sure of qualification but never dreamed about such a big margin of victory.

"I always had trust in the ability of the players to win the qualification," the skipper, who scored a brace, said.

Despite the quarters berth, Omar said it was not a big achievement for a club like Al Ain. He recollected missing out on AFC glory last year.

"The real achievement is a balance of local and continental championships," he added.

Al Ain missed out on any local shields in 2016-17 season.

Source: Khaleej Times