Tariq Salman, the Qatari national team player, confirmed that the level of Al-Annabi witnessed an increase during the group stage matches in the Arabian Gulf Cup tournament, “Gulf 27”, noting that facing the UAE in the final round was a strong test before confronting the Saudi national team in the semi-finals.
Salman said in his speech to the “media” after the draw against the Emirates: “Thank God, our level is on the rise. In the first match against Bahrain, we came out with the most important thing, which is victory, even though we played with a numerical disadvantage since the 70th minute. In the second match, we achieved a victory over Yemen with a goal without a response, but we could have scored more, as we had many opportunities that we did not succeed in exploiting.”
Regarding the confrontation with the Emirates, he said: “We played a good match against the Emirati team, and it was a big test for us before the semi-finals, because the Emirates is one of the favorite teams, and it has many new elements in addition to a new coach, so the confrontation was a strong rehearsal for what awaits us.”
Salman touched on the expected confrontation with Saudi Arabia in the semi-finals, stressing its difficulty in light of the ground and audience factors, saying: “The Saudi match will be the most important and difficult in the tournament, because the Saudi team is playing on its home soil and among its fans, and it is one of the nominated teams, and we hope to appear in a way that satisfies our fans, and to achieve victory and reach the final, God willing.”
Rami Al-Wasmani, the Yemeni national team player, confirmed that the great victory over Bahrain with a score of 5-2 at the conclusion of the group stage of the Arabian Gulf Cup tournament, “Gulf 27,” reflects the development that occurred in the team’s performance during the tournament, noting that the “Yemeni Red” regained its personality starting from the second confrontation, despite its farewell to the competitions.
Al-Wasmani said, in an exclusive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat after the match: “The level was there, and the evidence is that the team’s character has returned since the second match. “Maybe we did not perform at the desired level in the first match, and we admit that, but we pledged that our character would be stronger and that we would come back better.”
He added: “This was evident against Qatar, specifically in the second half, and then we played a very excellent match against Bahrain. We were men and up to the responsibility, and we must build on this character and this performance for the future and the upcoming matches.”
Regarding the ability of the current generation to achieve positive results in the upcoming elections, Al-Wasmani said: “We do not want to anticipate events. We hope to have strong camps and high-level friendly matches that will help prepare the team better.”
He continued: “Everyone saw that our level was on the rise during the matches between the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain. “If we had better preparation, we might have reached a good level from the first match.”
Al-Wasmani pointed out that the Yemeni national team includes a large group of young players, explaining: “This is a generation that can be built upon, as about half of the players are under 20 and 22 years old. We do not want to make big promises, but we will work hard and aspire to go further, and we hope to provide better levels in the upcoming entitlements.”
For his part, Adel Abbas, the Yemeni national team player, confirmed in an exclusive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat that the result and performance against Bahrain were the result of the work and effort made by the players. He said: “The result and performance did not come from nowhere. We made a great effort to achieve victory, and we entered the match with determination and determination to make our fans happy.”
Abbas stressed the importance of investing the coming period in raising the team’s readiness before the Asian tournament, adding: “This is our last match before the Asian Championship, and we need to play friendly matches during the next stage that will help us prepare well for the tournament.”
Matar Al Dhaheri, a member of the administrative staff of the UAE national team, confirmed the readiness of “Al-Abyad” to face any competitor in the knockout rounds of the Arabian Gulf Cup tournament “Gulf 27”, indicating that the goal for which the team came to the tournament was to compete for the title.
Al Dhaheri said in a statement to the media: “For us in the Emirati team, we have no doubt about our readiness to face any team. We will face the Omani team in the semi-finals, and if we succeed in qualifying for the final, we may face the Saudi team, and we are ready for any competitor.”
Regarding the UAE’s ambition in the tournament, he said: “We certainly have our eye on the title, so why are we here? We came to compete for the championship, and we hope that we will succeed in achieving it, God willing.”
Al Dhaheri refused to describe the UAE team’s performance in the first two matches as “aggressive,” even if it meant a positive side, saying: “Stay away from the word aggressive. This is football, and football has aesthetics and fun, and we hope that we will have success and reach the final.”
Al Dhaheri spoke about the Saudi team, stressing that he places it among the candidates for the competition, and said: “The Saudi team is also a candidate for the tournament, and it should not be excluded. I watched its three matches, during which it performed at great levels.”
Regarding the levels presented by the Emirati team, he added: “It is true that we presented good levels, but when you reach the semi-finals you do not know what will happen in the match and who will reach the final, so we hope that success will be our side.”
