Qatar coach Bruno Pinheiro has insisted a defeat to Bahrain didn’t hurt his team’s confidence as the Asian champions meet the United Arab Emirates in their final Group B game at the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup in Basra today.
Al Annabi will seek full points against Al Abyad at Al-Minaa Olympic Stadium as they look to seal a place in the semi-finals with spots from the group still undecided.
The three-time champions are second in the group behind Bahrain with three points from a 2-0 win against Kuwait in their opening game, before they lost to the defending champions 2-1. UAE after losing their first two matches are still not completely out of contention for the semi-finals.
“The team’s morale is high,” Pinheiro told a pre-match press conference yesterday.
“UAE are a good side and the results of their first two matches don’t reflect their quality. We have prepared well for the match and we will come up with a change in tactics,” the Qatar coach added.
Qatar took lead against Bahrain in the first half before the title holders bounced back with goals in the second half including an 89th minute penalty strike by Abdulla Yusuf.
“We played well in the two matches including the match against Bahrain. The team will not lose confidence after losing just one match. Bahrain are strong side but we were a bit unlucky, and lost focus which we will have to avoid against the UAE. We will try to control the match against them,” said Pinheiro.
Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo said defeat to Bahrain has not put extra pressure on the players.
“The defeat has given us motivation to bring improvement. We are aware of the value of three points and we will give our best against the UAE to claim three points,” the Al Duhail star said.
Qatar defeated the UAE 5-0 at FIFA Arab Cup 2021 at home in the most recent meeting between the two sides.
Qatar coach Bruno Pinheiro during a press conference yesterday. Pic: Mohamed Farag
UAE coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena said the match is crucial for both the teams, rating Qatar as a good side.
“Qatar are a combination of young and experienced players and they depend on possession of the ball. They are capable of putting pressure on the opposition. I worked there and I know them well,” said Arruabarrena, who coached Qatar’s Al Rayyan SC in the past.
The Argentine also expressed his dissatisfaction on team’s performance in the first two matches.
“We know that we have not lived up to expectations of our fans and no one is satisfied. We have worked hard to prepare for this important match. We are completely focused on the match against Qatar and then we will see the result of the other match,” said Arruabarrena.
UAE winger Yahya Al Ghassani said the team is only targeting a victory after losing the first two matches.
“We have to improve as we will not be satisfied until we take full points [against Qatar] and all players know their responsibility. We have to be focused in the match and we are capable of earning a win,” he said.
Bahrain, who have six points after two successive wins, will take on Kuwait – ranked third in the group with three points – in today’s other Group B match, with both the games set to start at 6pm. A draw will be enough for the defending champions to seal a spot in the semi-finals.
