Dalic pleased with UAE performance, Lopetegui promises strong show

JEDDAH: UAE coach Zlatko Dalic said his side had achieved their target of finishing top of Group B after drawing 1-1 with Qatar in the final round of the Gulf Cup 27 group stage on Wednesday, while Qatar coach Julen Lopetegui turned his attention on their semifinal against Saudi Arabia.
Dalic said he was pleased with his players’ performance but had hoped to win against Qatar.
“We were fully focused on Qatar, not on the group standings or our semifinal opponent. Oman are a strong team and must not be underestimated. We respect what they have achieved and will make every effort to win our next match,” he said.
The Croatian praised the young players who featured and said the team had performed well throughout the group stage.
“We have played well in all three matches. I wanted to give all the players a chance, as I am also thinking about the future. We have two days to recover and prepare. We are improving step by step, and we deserve what we have achieved,” Dalic explained.

Qatar finished second in the group with seven points and will face Saudi Arabia in the semifinals.
“We competed well against the UAE. I made several changes to the starting line-up because this was our third match in six days, but the team fought until the final minutes. We were not fortunate in front of goal, and now we need to rest, recover and prepare for the next match,” Lopetegui said.
He described the competition as demanding, citing the tight schedule and difficult weather conditions.
“Seven points is an achievement under this pressure. The competition is very tough, and the weather is also challenging. We have performed at a high level in every match, and today we were good,” he noted.
On facing Saudi Arabia, Lopetegui said: “They are a very strong team with high-quality players. We will be competitive against them. What matters most now is that the players recover after this demanding period.”

TALAJIC TAKES RESPONSIBILITY
Meanwhile, Bahrain coach Dragan Talajic took responsibility for his team’s 5-2 defeat to Yemen, which left the defending champions without a point in the group stage.
“I am responsible for this heavy defeat, and I will not blame the players for the disappointing results we have had in this tournament,” he said.
Talajic admitted he was surprised by the scoreline and praised Yemen’s performance. He added that the match had provided an opportunity to give younger players their first appearance in the competition.
“We did not do enough to achieve a positive result. Our performance throughout the tournament was poor, not just against Yemen. We came here as defending champions, but we leave without a single point,” he added.

Yemen coach Nourredine Ould Ali said the victory was an important morale boost despite his team’s failure to reach the semifinals.
“We did not qualify for the semifinals, but we achieved an important win and delivered a good performance. We want to build on this in the coming period,” he said.
Ould Ali also called for the domestic league to provide the national team with more players capable of competing at a high level.
“I did not come to this tournament simply to test players. We wanted to find solutions and develop plans for the future, especially with the Asian Cup in mind. We need more players who can perform at a high level, and I have a clear plan for the next stage,” he explained.