Egyptian international Hamdi Fathi, the Qatari Al-Wakrah midfielder, returned to his team’s group training after recovering from the injury that kept him out of the stadiums during the recent period.
Fathi appeared in Al Wakrah's final training session wearing a protective mask at the level of the nose, after undergoing surgical intervention following the injury he suffered during the match against Al Sailiya in the Qatar Cup, before the start of the final international break.
The player's return came at a time when Al-Wakra is preparing to face Al-Gharafa, next Thursday, at Khalifa International Stadium in the fifth round of the Qatari League, while his position on participating primarily in the match has not yet been determined.
The injury prevented Hamdi Fathi from joining the Egyptian national team during the recent break.
Fathi is considered one of the main players in Al-Wakrah’s ranks, after he joined the team in the summer of 2023 from Al-Ahly of Egypt, before the club renewed his contract to continue within its ranks until June 2029.
The player's return to training remains a positive indicator for Al Wakrah's technical staff before the resumption of league competitions, in light of the reliance on him as one of the influential elements in the midfield.
The Bahrain Football Association announced the termination of its contract by mutual consent with the technical staff of the first team, led by Croatian coach Dragan Talajic, following the team’s exit from the group stage of the Arabian Gulf Cup “Gulf 27” tournament held in Jeddah.
The decision came after a disappointing participation by the defending champion of the last edition, as he lost his three matches in the second group. Against Qatar 0-2, the UAE 0-3, and Yemen 2-5, ending his campaign in fourth place without points, after scoring two goals and conceding 10 goals.
The Board of Directors of the Bahraini Federation extended its thanks and appreciation to Talajic and the members of his technical staff for the efforts they made with the team during the past period, wishing them success in their next stop.
The Bahraini Federation did not reveal the identity of the technical staff that will take over the leadership of the national team to succeed Talajic.
Croatian Zlatko Dalic, coach of the UAE national team, described the confrontation with Saudi Arabia in the final of the Arabian Gulf Football Cup “Gulf 27” as being the “easiest match” for his team as the last stop in the tournament, hoping that the players and fans would enjoy the atmosphere of the match.
Dalic said, in the press conference before the final: “Tomorrow will be the easiest match because it is the final, and I hope the players and the audience enjoy it.” We will face one of the strongest teams in the tournament and in front of its fans, and I know that the Saudi team has a strong team and a strong coach, and God willing, we will perform at our best level.”
The UAE national team will meet its Saudi counterpart on Tuesday evening in the final match of “Gulf 27”, after the “White” team reached the decisive stage after topping the second group with seven points, before beating Oman with a goal to no return in the semi-finals, while the “Green” team reached the final after overcoming Qatar on penalties.
Dalic touched on the danger of the Saudi team regarding set pieces, noting that it will be one of the aspects that his players must deal with with caution. He said: “Fix balls are an important point for every team, but we did not have enough time to work on them. “We will face a team that is good at it, and we must defend against it well.”
The Croatian coach expressed his happiness with the support he received since taking over the leadership of the UAE national team, adding: “I am happy with the support that the Emirati fans provide me. The UAE is a beautiful country dear to my heart, and it is like my country, so I must give everything I have.”
Dalic confirmed that he is looking forward to investing his international experience in leading the “Whites” to the title, and said: “I have nine years of experience in international football, and my goal is to achieve the best possible thing for the national team. The best start for this will be in the final, and I will try to provide all my experience to the players, and I want to start this journey by winning the tournament.”
For his part, Khaled Issa, the UAE national team goalkeeper, confirmed that the confrontation had a special Gulf character, and said: “Thank you to the Saudi people for the warm reception. The match will be a club with a purely Gulf character, and, God willing, it will be an excellent match.”
Issa expressed his optimism about what the team has presented since Dalic took over, saying: “We now have an identity for the team, and I believe that the future is promising with coach Zlatko. We achieved satisfactory results with him even though he did not complete a month with the team, and we now have a clear shape and diversity in playing style.”
