Coaches of the Emirates, Oman and Qatar talk about qualifying and losing in Gulf 27

Croatian Zlatko Dalic, coach of the UAE national team, expressed his pride in qualifying and achieving the big goal, praising the performance provided by his team players, and appreciating the great public support in Jeddah, while noting at the same time his reproach to the players after scoring the first goal, and stressing the difficulty of the anticipated final confrontation.

Dalic said in the press conference: “We played a great match and we were special. I thank the Emirati fans for their attendance and encouragement. We started the match on a high note, but after scoring the first goal I was not happy with the performance. I congratulated the players, but I blamed them for what they did after the goal, and we will analyze everything, because the big goal was achieved.”

He added: “As for the final match, it will be difficult. They will play in the presence of a large crowd, and they are also tired after playing extra time, and we are also going through pressure. “We will analyze everything, and I will focus on studying the team from all aspects.”

Regarding his celebration with the fans, the Emirates coach said: “We appreciate the attendance of the fans and their presence in Jeddah. When I came to the Emirates, I said that we should be one hand; Media, fans and players. We must all be together, and with every team I supervised, I always asked for support and encouragement. We will give everything we have, and God bless you.”

Tariq Al-Saktiwi, coach of the Omani national team, expressed the bitterness of sadness that prevailed in his team’s dressing room after the loss to the Emirates, stressing that his country’s national team did not deserve the defeat.

Al-Saktiwi said, in the press conference that followed the match: “It was an interesting match between two brotherly teams, and we did not start the confrontation well. Unfortunately, we conceded a goal from a free kick due to the lack of supervision, while we had opportunities that we did not take advantage of.”

The Oman coach added: “In the second half we were better, and we worked more on the sides. We know that the UAE national team is strong, especially in keeping the ball, and we tried to change several things, put pressure and create opportunities, but we were not successful. “We feel very bitter after this loss, and I think we did not deserve it.”

Regarding the Omani team’s performance in the tournament, Al-Saktiwi said: “The tournament was very successful for us, and greater achievements await us. We will build on the many positives that have emerged, and I repeat that the national team’s door is open to everyone, and we will study all options during the next stage.”

Regarding his team receiving goals from set pieces, Al-Saktiwi said: “Receiving goals from free kicks is due, in my opinion, to a lack of focus, and it is a mental issue more than a technical or tactical one, and we will work to develop the group in all aspects.”

Regarding the replacement process in the Omani national team, he said: “Replacement in the Omani national team is a necessity and not an option for the coach, and it is difficult to work with players over the age of 33 years.”

He continued: “We dealt with this issue in an intelligent manner, and we are working according to a medium- and long-term vision. My contract extends for a long period, and I ask everyone to trust in our work, and be confident that the future will be beautiful, God willing.

The Oman coach concluded his speech by saying: “There is an atmosphere of great sadness in the locker room, as everyone had a desire to make the Omani people happy. I repeat, we did not deserve to lose, but circumstances, bad luck and other factors were not on our side. Our arrival to the round of four and our presence among the best teams in the tournament is an achievement.”

The Spanish coach of the Qatari national team, Julian Lopetegui, expressed his sadness after losing to Saudi Arabia on penalties in the semi-finals of the Arabian Gulf Cup (Gulf 27), stressing that Al-Anabi bid farewell to what he described as “the best team in the tournament,” and pointing to the great influence of the Saudi fans in the confrontation.

Lopetegui said in the press conference after the match: “We feel sad for not reaching the final. We faced very strong fans that were an influential factor and gave the Saudi team an advantage. We also faced a strong team playing on its home soil.”

He added: “We feel frustrated because we lost on penalties, and I told the players that we lost to the best team in the tournament.”

Regarding the defensive approach followed by the Qatari team, he explained: “We had to play defensively; Because we faced a strong team. We were tired, and we had some chances that we didn't take advantage of. “Fatigue was a major reason for us choosing to play this way.”

He continued: “We faced a team that defended well, and there is a lot of pressure as a result of playing this number of matches. The weather and temperature also had an impact, and we had to adapt to these conditions.”

Lopetegui explained the reasons for replacing Akram Afif, saying: “We wanted to make the best decision for the team, and we needed more energy. As a coach, I think about the best interests of the team. Afif is a good player and has energy and strength, but we also have other players who can provide an addition. Some players were feeling tired, and in general I think the changes were good.”

The Qatar coach revealed that his team was prepared for the possibility of the match going to penalty kicks, and said: “I told the players about the possibility of going to penalty kicks. We did not implement it well in the match, even though we practiced it better yesterday, and I think what happened was due to psychological pressure during the confrontation.”