Saqr Al-Darbi, the Yemeni national team player, apologized to his country's fans after losing to the UAE 4-0 at the start of their Gulf Cup campaign, stressing that the national team will work to compensate during the upcoming confrontations.
Speaking to the media after the match, Al-Darbi said: “I will give you credit for our victory, and congratulations to the Emirati team for winning.” We let our fans down today and we offer our apologies to them. We fell into a very strong group that includes a number of the most prominent teams nominated to compete in the tournament, including the champion of the previous edition.”
He added: “The Yemeni fans were a great motivation for us, and we thank them for their presence and support, and God willing, we can compensate them in the upcoming matches.”
For his part, Tariq Shehab, the Yemeni national team player, confirmed that his team will try to overcome the loss and focus on the matches between Qatar and Bahrain. He said: “Today’s confrontation was strong and we were unsuccessful in it. We still have two strong matches against Qatar and Bahrain, and we will try to provide a better level during them.”
Shehab concluded: “We thank the Yemeni fans for their attendance and encouragement, and we hope that we can make them happy in the upcoming matches.”
Abdullah Hamad, the UAE national team player, confirmed that the strong start and high concentration were among the most prominent reasons for the victory over Yemen 4-0 at the beginning of the “White” campaign in the Gulf Cup.
Speaking to the media after the match, Abdullah Hamad said: “We entered from the first minute with high concentration, and we succeeded in scoring early, and this helped us achieve victory and control the course of the match in the way we wanted, and the coming is more beautiful, God willing.”
He added: “We respect all teams, and we are very prepared, and we are fully prepared for the upcoming confrontations in the tournament.”
Croatian Zlatko Dalic, coach of the UAE national team, congratulated Al-Abyad fans after their 4-0 victory over Yemen at the start of their Gulf Cup campaign, stressing that the three points represent an important beginning in building the national team during the next stage.
Dalic said in the press conference after the match: “Congratulations to the fans of the UAE national team. We achieved a well-deserved victory and three important points. Our performance in the second half was not at the same level as our performance in the first half, but fatigue played a role, and now we have to shift our focus to the next match.”
The Croatian coach spoke about his return to Saudi Arabia, saying: “I have beautiful memories in Saudi Arabia, and training the UAE national team represents a new experience for me. “I now look to the future and how to rebuild the national team.”
He added: “Our goal in this tournament is first to pass the group stage, and after that we will deal with the journey step by step. “I know very well how enthusiastic the UAE national team fans are, and we hope that their support for us will continue.”
Regarding the naturalized players in the UAE national team, Dalic said: “My goal is to build a national team, and I do not differentiate between naturalized players and Emirati players. They all represent the national team, and I hope that the fans will stand behind us and support us.”
He continued: “The naturalized players are happy to represent the Emirates. Of course, continuing this work is not easy, but we will build the team step by step, and the goal is to become one group.”
