Head coach Sergej Barbarez admitted the team struggled in the first half but found the strength to turn things around after the break: "The first half was more than poor. The first ten minutes were fine, we had one or two chances, but then we lost our structure, failed to recognize when to push forward. That surprised me. We even considered making five substitutions at halftime. We made the right calls, especially bringing in Dario Šarić, as he gave us the needed toughness in duels. Switching to a 3-5-2 formation provided more stability with Nikola Katić at the back, and we created some good chances. Once we gained control, we felt we could win. The plan was to use our broad range, and every substitution worked well. We executed that in both matches. Of course, winning is the most important thing, but we know there’s a lot to improve, and we’re aware of that."

First goal scorer Ermedin Demirović emphasized the importance of the victory despite a not so good first half: "We didn’t play well in the first half, and that’s not the performance we aim for. The key thing is that we won. It was a tough match - anyone can beat anyone these days, and Cyprus showed they know how to play. With six points secured, we now move forward. The coach did a great job scouting the opponent. We have a strong team and a quality bench. The subs made a huge impact today, especially the two who came on at halftime. It feels like we’ve been playing together for ten years. We’re a real family, on and off the pitch."

Defender Stjepan Radeljić reflected on the team’s response to a tough match schedule and conceding a goal: "We knew it would be a tough match, especially after exhausting ourselves three days ago. We started well, controlled the game, but after scoring, we dropped off, made mistakes, and conceded at the worst possible moment. We had a serious talk at halftime, picked ourselves up, showed greater determination, and ultimately earned the victory. From the start of this camp, we believed we could take all six points, and this will give us huge confidence going forward. This team has the quality to reach the World Cup and make our people proud. We’ll give everything to make it happen."

Goal scorer and assist provider Haris Hajradinović mentioned the team’s awareness of the challenge, particularly due to fatigue from the previous game: "We knew it’d be tough because we spent a lot of energy in the last game. Our mistakes gave Cyprus confidence, but we regrouped at halftime to turn things around. While scoring the goal felt great, the win and leading the group mean even more to me."