Croatian Zlatko Dalic, coach of the UAE national team, expressed his happiness with the performance presented by his players during the 3-0 victory over Bahrain, stressing that the seriousness with which the team continued its search for goals was one of the most prominent technical gains in the confrontation in the Gulf Cup competitions.
Dalic said, during the press conference after the match: I congratulate both teams, as it was a difficult match, and I congratulate our players who scored three goals and gave a wonderful performance.
The Emirates coach confirmed that he has multiple options, explaining: We have 20 players of similar quality, and there are players suffering from injuries and we had to replace them, and we have multiple options in attack and defense. Of course, our next goal is to beat Qatar, and I would like to give all the players a chance, as everyone wants to participate. I will try to rest some elements and give others a chance.
Regarding the identity of the team he would prefer to face in the semi-final between Saudi Arabia and Iraq, he said: First, we have a final match in the group stage against Qatar, and we will try to rotate between the players and involve the young elements. If we want to reach the final, we have to be prepared to face any team, even though Saudi Arabia and Iraq participated in the World Cup three months ago.
He continued: So far we have not achieved anything significant, and I expect a greater effort from our players. Both teams are strong, and I think we can keep up with them.
Regarding whether the UAE national team possesses elements capable of providing better levels, he said: Yes, this is true, but we are still at the beginning of our journey. If we want to be better, we have to continue the same way. The entire team must defend, as my goal is always to play attacking football, but at the same time with strong defence.
When asked about his opinion on the field, Dalic simply said: It is none of my business.
Tunisia's coach, Mouin Chaabani, confirmed that his team has no choice but to win when it faces Botswana on Monday, in the second round of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Tunisia tied 1-1 with Uganda in the first round, while the match between Libya and Botswana ended in a 2-2 draw, leaving the four teams sharing the top spot in Group H with one point each.
Al-Shaabani said, in a press conference on Sunday, that the match represents an important confrontation against a direct competitor, adding: “We have no choice but to win, and we will do everything in our power to achieve victory.”
He added that his choices will depend on the nature of the competitor and his capabilities, noting that Botswana showed its ability to confuse its competitor against Libya.
Al-Shaabani continued: “We lost two points against Uganda, and we must regain them as soon as possible,” stressing that the team will also focus on its direct competitors in the group, Botswana and Libya.
Regarding the health condition of the players, Al-Shaabani explained that Alaa Gharam, who is returning from an injury, will not participate against Botswana after medical examinations showed that there are risks that require not taking any risks, even though his club’s medical report confirmed his readiness.
He added that Issa Al-Aidouni gradually returned to training after suffering from a high temperature on the eve of the Uganda match, and the extent of his readiness will be evaluated before the match.
For his part, veteran player Ali Maaloul stressed the importance of solidarity within the national team, speaking about goalkeeper Ayman Dahman and the events that accompanied the Uganda match.
Maaloul said that the players discussed what happened after the match, stressing that the group showed great solidarity with Dahman, considering that the team is “one family,” and that what affects one player concerns the entire group.
He added that the national team's interest must be above all considerations, calling on the Tunisian fans to rally around the team when the players wear the national team's shirt and defend Tunisia's colors.
The UAE reached the semi-finals of the 27th Gulf Cup in Jeddah, after defeating Bahrain, the defending champion, 3-0, in the second group competitions.
Othman Kamara opened the scoring for the UAE national team in the 30th minute of the match, while his teammates Guillerme Bala and Ali Saleh added the second and third goals in the 66th and 88th minutes, respectively. With that result, the UAE national team, which began its campaign in the group with a huge 4-0 victory over Yemen, sat at the top of the standings with 6 points.
The UAE national team is superior on goal difference to its closest competitor, the Qatar national team, which is on par with it on the same score, to rise together to the semi-finals in the tournament, and their next match will be in the final round of the group, in order to determine the champion and runner-up of the group. On the other hand, the Bahrain national team, which lost 0-2 to Qatar in the opening round, remained without a score of points, officially bidding farewell to the competition along with the Yemen national team, at the bottom of the standings, before their confrontation, which will be a final round.
It is noteworthy that the group leader will meet in the semi-finals with the runner-up of Group Two, which includes Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Kuwait, while the runner-up will play with the leader of the other group.
