UAE and Qatar seek to clinch qualification via Bahrain and Yemen
The United Arab Emirates, facing defending champions Bahrain, aim to secure their second victory in the Gulf Cup, held in Jeddah, while Qatar, who face a battered Yemen, are on Sunday in a scenario that would guarantee their passage from Group 2 to the semifinals.
Al-Ahwar (the Whites) recorded a comprehensive 4-0 win over Yemen in their opening match of Gulf Cup 27, while Al-Asayel (the Arabs) defeated Bahrain 2-0, bolstering their chances of securing qualification ahead of their final Group 2 clash against each other.
The UAE, holders of the 2007 and 2013 titles, failed to advance from the group stage in the last three editions, but their convincing performance in their opening match has drawn significant attention. Croatian coach Zlatko Dalic urged his players to keep their feet on the ground and show “full respect to all opponents.”
Dalic, who has done a good job presenting the UAE national team in his first match in charge since taking over in August as the replacement for Romanian coach Cosmin Olaroiu, said: “We must not exaggerate the win; it is a small step in our journey in the tournament.”
Dalic could benefit from the services of Paulo Guilherme, who missed the first match due to injury. The Al-Ahli player could provide an attacking boost alongside Yuri Cesar, Bruno Oliveira, and Nicolas Jimenez, who scored a brace against Yemen.
Bahrain, who won their second title in the tournament’s history in the previous edition, could find themselves eliminated if they suffer a second consecutive defeat against the UAE, despite Croatian coach Dragan Talajic’s promises of a third title. Talajic hopes to erase the negative image displayed by Al-Ahmar (the Reds), which contrasted with their strong performance at Gulf Cup 26 in Kuwait.
The Bahraini national team will rely on most of the players who featured against Qatar in their match against the UAE, but they will be without the services of Abbas Al-Asfour, who was sent off in the Qatar match after causing a penalty in stoppage time.
Qatar seek to guarantee their place in the semifinals when they face Yemen, a fixture that appears straightforward on paper. A victory would be enough for Qatar to advance, provided the UAE either defeat or draw with Bahrain in their second match.
Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui said of Qatar: “Facing Yemen cannot be easy, regardless of the opponent’s first appearance; they are still in the equation.” He added: “It is true that we gained a lot of moral momentum after starting with a win against a stubborn opponent and the defending champions, a victory we had not achieved since November 2021, but we have not accomplished anything yet.”
For his part, the Yemeni national team will enter their final chance match following their heavy defeat to the UAE, aiming to avoid official elimination from the tournament. Despite a strong start to their first match, armed with a historic unbeaten run, having gone eight official matches across all competitions without defeat, Yemen collapsed under the UAE’s attacking pressure.
Algerian coach Nouredine Ould Ali said of Yemen: “The first defeat was a harsh lesson, and we must learn from it. I cannot imagine us appearing in that manner again.”
