"Gulf Cup 27": UAE and Qatar Aim for Early Qualification
Jeddah – AFP – The United Arab Emirates are aiming to secure their second victory in the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup, “Khaleeji Al-Diyar Al-Arabiya 27,” hosted in Jeddah, when they face defending champions Bahrain. Similarly, Qatar will seek a win against “wounded” Yemen on Sunday, a scenario that would guarantee both teams’ advancement from Group Two to the semifinals.
The “White Falcons” recorded a commanding 4-0 victory over Yemen in their opening match, while the “Maroon Five” defeated Bahrain 2-0, strengthening their chances of securing qualification before their head-to-head clash in the final, third round.
The UAE, champions in 2007 and 2013, failed to advance past the group stage in the last three editions. However, their convincing performance in the first match has put them in the spotlight.
The team managed by Croatian Zlatko Dalic, who finished as runner-up at the 2018 World Cup with his national side, dominated the match against Yemen, recording their largest win since defeating Oman 4-0 in “Khaleeji 5” in 1979.
Dalic may benefit from the return of Balla Guilleherme, who missed the first match due to injury. The Shabab Al-Ahli player could provide an additional attacking threat alongside Yuri Cesar, Bruno Oliveira, and Nicolas Jimenez, who scored twice in the match against Yemen.
For their part, Bahrain, who won the title in the previous edition to claim their second championship in history, risk elimination if they suffer a second consecutive loss against the UAE, despite promises from their Croatian coach, Dragan Talajic, to secure a third title.
Talajic hopes to erase the negative image of the “Red Dilmans,” who have been far from the high level they displayed in “Khaleeji 26” in Kuwait.
The Bahraini team will rely on most of the players who featured against Qatar in the match against the UAE, but they will be without Abbas Al-Asfour, who was sent off in the match against Qatar after causing a penalty kick in stoppage time.
In the other match, the Qatari team will seek to secure their place in the semifinals when they face their Yemeni counterparts in a contest that appears easy on paper.
A victory will be enough for Qatar to advance, provided the UAE either beat or draw with Bahrain in the other match.
Despite a strong start to their first match, bolstered by a historic streak of eight consecutive official matches without a defeat across all competitions, Yemen collapsed under the UAE’s attacking pressure.
