Vladimir Ivic said he was proud of Al Ain's record UAE Pro League 38-game unbeaten run but was highly critical of his side's defending after a 2-0 loss to title rivals Shabab Al Ahli saw them beaten for the first time in 19 months.
Al Ain had not tasted a league defeat since a 3-2 loss to Dibba on March 29, 2025, some 567 days before Saturday's setback. In that time, Ivic had led the team through an unbeaten title-winning season.
It was also the first time in 32 matches that Al Ain had failed to score. They sit fourth in the table as part of a four-way tie for the lead, although Al Jazira can go three points clear with victory at Kalba on Sunday.
Shabab Al Ahli moved up to second after goals from in-form striker Sardar Azmoun and Kauan Santos gave them victory in Dubai.
Ivic said his Al Ain side had been poor at both ends of the pitch but urged his players to get the defeat out of their systems quickly. They have an immediate opportunity to avenge the result when they face Shabab Al Ahli again in the last 16 of the President's Cup on Thursday.
“It was a very strange match, but I congratulate Shabab Al Ahli on the win,” said Ivic. “They took their chances and scored two goals from four opportunities, while we created around 10 chances and failed to score a single goal. That was the difference between the two teams.
“I don't remember us making these kinds of mistakes since I arrived at Al Ain. What happened was abnormal, especially the way we conceded the two goals. I cannot explain it before watching the match again.
End-to-end action from start to finish 🍿⚽️
— UAE Pro League (@UAEProleague_En) October 18, 2026
A look back at Shabab Al Ahli’s impressive win over Al Ain in an entertaining contest!#ADNOCProLeague pic.twitter.com/tkeyrtHYJs
“For the first goal, a Shabab Al Ahli player got past two of our defenders easily, as if they were statues standing still on the pitch, before going through on goal and scoring. The second goal came from similar mistakes. These are things that cannot happen.
“I am the team's coach and I take responsibility for the defeat. I do not blame the players, but we must return to the basics and correct our mistakes. Even the best teams in the world lose, and I am proud of what our players have delivered over the past period.
“We must forget this match quickly because we will face Shabab Al Ahli again in four days, and our objective is to return to winning ways.”
كاكو: "صنعنا الكثير من الفرص ولم نستطع التسجيل، وعندما لا تسجل وتستقبل الأهداف يصعب عليك العودة ونعتذر لجماهيرنا على النتيجة" pic.twitter.com/oDyGRmclqs
— نادي العين (@alainfcae) October 17, 2026
It was the biggest result so far for Andre Jardine, the Shabab Al Ahli manager, who took over from Paulo Sousa in the summer.
He said his players had carried out his game plan to a tee but warned that they would need to maintain their level when they meet Al Ain again in the cup.
“For us, beating Al Ain is worth six points because we are talking about a direct clash against a strong rival for the title,” he said.
“Almost everything we planned before the match worked, but if I want to speak frankly, taking our chances was the decisive factor in achieving the victory.
“Of course, the defeat will give Al Ain extra motivation to come back and win the next match, but our victory today will also give our players a big morale boost. We will face a new match between two teams that have the enthusiasm and desire to win.”