Statements of Arab coaches and teams regarding qualifiers and regional championships

Mohamed Wehbe, coach of the Moroccan national football team, said that the outcome of the match against Gabon was positive in terms of result and performance, stressing that the team is on the right path, but at the same time he stressed the need to be patient given the presence of a number of young players and the amount of work that still awaits the group.

Wehbe explained, during the press conference following the Moroccan national team’s victory over Gabon 2-0 in Rabat, at the opening of the first group matches of the 2027 African Cup of Nations qualifiers, that his team performed well, adding: “The outcome is good, both a result and a performance, and we presented good things, but we must try to maintain our own rhythm of play, and not fall into the traps of competitors by being complacent.”

The Moroccan coach added that building a new team requires time, and said: “We are on the right path with the presence of young and young players, and we must be patient, as we still have a long work ahead of us.”

Speaking about Ibrahim Diaz, Wehbe revealed that the Real Madrid player was suffering from a mild injury that prevented him from participating against Gabon, but he insisted on staying with the national team and traveling with him to South Africa to face Lesotho, while continuing his treatment program.

Wehbe said that the decision to start the match with Al-Zabiri instead of Sufyan Rahimi is not related to a comparison between the players, explaining that Al-Zabiri “is currently performing well with his team,” and that the issue for him is not related to who starts the match or who finishes it, but rather who provides what is required on the field.

He added: “I know the potential of Rahimi and Saeed for the performance of the players together in the match,” referring to the offensive options he adopted during the confrontation with Gabon.

The Moroccan national team coach expressed his satisfaction with the level presented by the young players who recently joined the first team, whether in terms of personality or skills, considering that their appearance in this way represents a positive indicator for the future of the group.

The Egyptian Football Association said on Saturday that Mohamed Salah, captain of the national team, will not go with the team to South Sudan to play the second round match in the African Cup of Nations qualifiers because it will be held on a stadium with an artificial grass floor.

Egypt tied 0-0 with Angola at Cairo International Stadium on Friday at the start of the two teams' qualifying campaign after a match with few chances, ranking second in Group B behind Malawi, which beat South Sudan.

Salah participated as a starter in the Angola match, but he did not complete the match after coach Hossam Hassan decided to replace him midway through the second half.

The Egyptian Football Association added in a brief statement on its social media accounts: “The technical staff of the Egyptian national team, led by Hossam Hassan, decided to rest Mohamed Salah from the South Sudan match scheduled for September 29, due to the pitch of the match.”

The match between South Sudan and Egypt will be held at Juba Stadium, and its floor is made of artificial turf.

He continued: “It was agreed between the national team’s technical staff and Mohamed Salah before the Angola match not to play the South Sudan match, and the technical staff preferred that to protect the player.”

Croatian Zlatko Dalic, coach of the UAE national team, confirmed that his team's focus is on qualifying for the semi-finals of the Arabian Gulf Cup (Gulf 27), stressing the need to go beyond the great victory over Yemen, and focus on facing Bahrain.

Dalic said, in the press conference preceding the confrontation: “We will play against a strong opponent, and we know what we have to do, and we will give our best to achieve victory. The Bahraini national team has great experience and a great coach.”

He added: “Every match is important. If we win tomorrow, we will qualify, and we will have achieved our first goal. Bahrain played a good match in its previous match, and I realize that we also played a good first match, but we have to do more.”

Dalic stressed the need to turn the page on the victory over Yemen, saying: “We must forget the Yemen match and focus on confronting Bahrain, exploit all opportunities, and let our defense be our strength.”

He continued: “After our match against Yemen and scoring four goals, everyone started talking about us, but we have to focus on the next match and move step by step. “I hope we repeat what we did against Yemen, and achieve qualification tomorrow.”

The Croatian coach refused to put the UAE team in the category of candidates to achieve the title, explaining: “We are not candidates for the tournament, and I want to reach our first goal of qualifying for the semi-finals, and I do not want to put new pressure on the players.”

He added: “The public demands the best, but I cannot put pressure on our players. “I don’t want to send a negative message or say we are the best, we are moving step by step.”

He continued: “As I said, we are not the favorites, and there are strong teams in the tournament such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia.”

Dalic recalled his memories with Al Hilal during his previous experience in Saudi Arabia, saying: “I have beautiful memories here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with Al Hilal, and I hope to achieve something with the Emirati national team as I achieved with Al Hilal.”

For his part, Nicholas Jimenez, the UAE national team player, stressed the difficulty of the upcoming confrontation, pointing out the importance of the Gulf Cup tournament for the players.

Jimenez said: “As the coach said, the match is difficult, and participation in this tournament is important, and all the teams in it are strong.”

He added: “We must analyze our previous match to be ready to face Bahrain, absorb the coach’s instructions, and give our best. We represent a great team, and this is an important tournament, and we seek to make the fans and the coach happy.”

He concluded: “I thank our fans for their encouragement, and we will give everything we have to make them happy.”