Pitso Mosimane's opposite number was full of praise for his own side after handing the South African his second consecutive defeat.
Esteghlal FC suffered a 2-0 defeat to rivals Tractor SC in a Persian Gulf Pro League encounter on Thursday, capping off another disappointing matchday for the side now led by the former Al Ahly coach.
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The Crown of Iran has now slipped to 12th place on the table after suffering three defeats in a row, while Tractor's victory ensured that they maintain their position at the top of the table.
The East Azerbaijan outfit have 19 points after nine matches, and their latest three points, at the expense of Mosimane, caused the side's manager, Dragan Skocic, to be proud of his players.
"We have a great team and excellent facilities, and the conditions are ideal for achieving our goals," the Croatian coach said after the game per Iranian news site Resaneh7.
"I congratulate my players on this win. Due to the sensitivity of this match and the density of the competitions, we couldn't showcase our usual attractive football in every minute.
"Our performance was slightly different from previous matches, but I'm extremely satisfied with the result.
"Sometimes we lost control in midfield and resorted to long balls, which I wasn't pleased with.
"In the second half, we changed our game style and showed we're a formidable team.
"This was a major derby, and Esteghlal is a solid team that will undoubtedly achieve great things in the future.
"Unlike previous games, pressing high up the pitch wasn't our priority," he added.
"Today, we maintained our shape in midfield. We knew Esteghlal excels at winning the ball in the space between midfield and defence.
"We also organized effective counter-attacks, and whenever Mehdi Torabi gained possession in midfield, we launched a threatening counter-attack."
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Mosimane, meanwhile, will be looking for the first win of his tenure when his side take on Al Hilal in an AFC Champions League encounter on Monday night.
By Junaid Benjamin
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