Lazarov: „ If we play like that against Bosnia it will be very dangerous„
Comments from the mixed zone after FYRO Macedonia edged Iran 33-31 at the Ali Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah Arena.
Kiril Lazarov (MKD)
"Victory is what counts most in a game and since we got it, now we are looking forward to playing the next game. I would say that we had a poor performance tonight. We began the game with the second unit and we played slowly. Iran took advantage of that and fought until the end to get the victory. Fortunately we managed to edge them thanks to our experience and determination. If we play like that against Bosnia and Herzegovina, it will be very dangerous. Hopefully it will not happen again."
Stojanche Stoilov (MKD)
"No surprise at all. Handball is being played everywhere and there are too many good teams all over the world. We have to respect all opponents and not underestimate them, because perhaps they are newcomers on the international stage. I didn't like our game which was a little bit confused. Fortunately we escaped from this risky situation with the win. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a better team than Iran, so we are expecting to play a derby, with much tension. We all feel blessed to play together with Kiro. The guy is a legend, the best scorer in the last decade worldwide. He is a killer who can score from everywhere, in every moment, against every opponent. I wish him to play at his best here and drive us to a successful tournament."
Omid Sekenari (IRI)
"It sounds strange, but we feel proud and disappointed at the same time. We played a great game and we came so close to win. It didn't happen tonight, but I am quite sure that better moments are to come for us. We are newcomers in the World Championship and we lack experience and the knowledge to deal with the crucial moments. What happened tonight, it is a tough, but useful lesson for all of us. I am sure that we can go up and beat European teams in the near future. We are a team with heart and we are still learning how to play the game on the international level."
Saeid Barkhordari (IRI)
"We played against one of the best teams in Europe so it was great for us. We were organised and played some really good handball, but lost our focus later in the match. You could just see the difference in the second half. European teams are still too good for Asian teams to play against them for the all 60 minutes."
Ivica Obrvan (MKD)
"Congratulations to Iran, because they had a very good perfomance and remained competitive until the very end of the match.We were a little bit tired and we didn't play with all our force and psychology needed. however it is an important win."
Borut Macek (IRI)
"Congratulations to my friend, Ivica Obrvan for the win. In the first game we had here, and tonight even more, we proved that we came here for a reason. We fought for sixty minutes, losing at the end to a great team by two goals. I hope for Macedonia the best and I hope that we can have some kind of success here."
Borko Ristovski (MKD)
"Iran played a very good game. They run and shoot well and they had an effective defense. We didn't play our best game, but it is important that we have won both games so far."
Mohammadreza Rajabi (IRI)
"We came very close to the win. It' s a pity that it didn't happen, but we showed our fighting spirit and heart. We played against a team that usually plays at the Olympics and World Championships, but you could not see that difference in most of the match. We can be really proud of our performance. I know that it is tough because we lost two matches, but we still hope to go through to the next round. We just have to be better in the last 10 minutes when European teams use their huge experience to win tight matches."
