UAE Coach: We Deserved the Win Against Bahrain and Must Prepare to Face Any Team
Jeddah, September 27 (KUNA) -- UAE national team coach Zlatko Dalic affirmed on Sunday that his side deserved a 3-0 victory over Bahrain, citing the outstanding performance displayed by the players during the match. At the post-match press conference, Dalic said that Bahrain came to defend their title and possess considerable experience and a distinguished coach, adding, “We did not expect to score three goals. I told the players that winning this match would give us great opportunities in the upcoming stages. The defenders delivered an excellent performance, and my team deserved to win by three goals.”
When asked whether he preferred facing Saudi Arabia or Iraq in the semi-finals, Dalic said the UAE team first has a final group-stage match against Qatar, during which he will rotate players. He added that if the UAE side wants to reach the final, it must be prepared to face any opponent, noting that both Saudi Arabia and Iraq participated in the World Cup three months ago and both are strong teams.
Dalic stressed that his team has not yet achieved anything and expects greater effort from his players in the upcoming matches, expressing confidence in the UAE national team’s ability to compete with any opponent.
For his part, Bahrain national team coach Dragan Talajic apologized to the Bahraini public after the team’s loss in the 27th edition of the Gulf Cup of Nations (Gulf 27), acknowledging that his side failed to deliver the required level when it was expected to do so.
At the post-match press conference, Talajic said, “This is football, and we must learn from it. The past is in the past. We did not play well when we were supposed to, and there are other reasons we need to analyze. I apologize to the Bahraini people for losing this trophy; what happened has happened.”
He added that the UAE team was superior in ball possession and that his side tried to address the problems it encountered during the match, emphasizing that he would not place blame on anyone. He clarified that the Bahraini team did not display the same mindset it showed during its previous participation in Kuwait, when it successfully won the title. (End) K.N.S. / M.A.H.A.
