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.”
Algerian Noureddine Ould Ali, coach of the Yemeni team, confirmed that the victory over Bahrain represents an important morale boost for the team, despite not qualifying for the semi-finals of the Gulf Cup, stressing that the victory does not hide the amount of work that awaits the team during the next stage, in light of the lack of playing minutes that a large number of its players get.
Ould Ali said in the press conference after the match: “We congratulate the Yemeni people and the Yemeni fans on this victory. We were hoping to also win against Qatar, but we lost that match in the last quarter of an hour, and God decreed what He wanted. It is true that we did not qualify for the second round, but we achieved a victory and played a great match in this edition, and we look forward to the best in the future.”
The Yemeni coach described the victory as a “moral victory,” explaining: “We will not benefit from it in the tournament calculations, but it is important for the Yemeni team.” The Bahraini national team was influenced by its previous results, and we wish it success in the future.”
Ould Ali refused to consider the victory as an indication that all the team’s problems were behind him, and said: “We cannot say that life has become beautiful just because of winning a match.” When you look at the minutes played by each player during the months of August and September, you will find that they are few, and this is the truth.
He added: “We have 26 players, and most of them have only played three or four matches, so it is not easy. We need the Yemeni League to give us three or four players, and we have two friendly matches in November, and perhaps players from the diaspora or from the Yemeni League will join us.”
Ould Ali spoke about the development of boldness in his team’s performance from one match to another, explaining that this is related to the approach of each confrontation, and he said: “We have a different strategy for each match. If we play the same way against the UAE, for example, we may face problems in defensive depth, as every confrontation has its own data and strategy.”
He continued: “The match itself may give you some solutions while playing, as happened with us today. Sometimes the strategy works, sometimes you face difficulties, and then you try to find the right way to solve it.”
The Yemeni coach pointed out the limited preparation period that preceded the tournament, saying: “We did not have time to play friendly matches before the first match, with the exception of facing Kuwait, during which we tried to gather the largest possible number of players, and about 70 percent of them were able to attend.”
Ould Ali stressed that he is not looking for experience as much as he is looking for solutions that can be built upon, and he said: “I want experienced players who can control the match.” “I am not here to experiment, but to find exceptional solutions, and we will look for defensive solutions during the preparation for the Asian Cup.”
Regarding following up on the Yemeni League and the possibility of including new names, he said: “I know the players, and I may call some of them for the upcoming friendly matches,” noting that the next stage will witness the continued search for players capable of playing at a higher level.
Ould Ali explained that preparation for the future has already begun, adding: “We must have a greater number of players capable of playing at a high level, especially since the level in the Asian Cup will be higher.” Each team has special preparations according to its level, and I have plans for the November friendlies, and from today we started trying some things.”
The Yemeni coach concluded his speech by emphasizing that building the team is an ongoing process, and said: “This is my diligence as a coach, and this is our situation as coaches. We work hard and experiment until we reach our goals.”
