The UAE coach is seeking a fighting performance from his players against Tunisia when the two sides meet in their last Group A match in the FIFA Arab Cup at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha on Monday.
Coached by Dutchman Bert van Marwijk, UAE have picked two successive wins but are yet to secure a quarter-finals berth in the 16-team tournament. UAE go into their last group game in a strong position though. A draw will be enough for the Whites to book their place in the latter stages as group winners, and even defeat would not spell the end of their hopes, though it would leave them dependent on the outcome of Syria’s match against Mauritania.
With six points, Group B leaders UAE are ahead of second-placed Syria and Tunisia both with three points each. Bottom-placed Mauritania are the fourth side in the group with two successive losses from as many matches.
“We have to maintain our focus and show the fighting character that we exhibited in the previous (two) matches,” Van Marwijk said yesterday at a pre-match press conference. “Our playing lines (against Tunisia) must be interconnected and provide us with the push that we need to cross this stage in the tournament,” he added.
“My team is aware of the difficulty of facing the Tunisian side. We have two wins but we still have not qualified for the next stage. If we lose, we will exit from the tournament. If we draw or win, we will be at the top of the group. Everything is possible in this group. The players are required to focus on ourselves and provide what is required,” he said.
UAE player Ali Salem said yesterday: “We will play to win. We won’t be playing for a draw. It’s an important game for us. We realise the importance of this match.”
Ali Khaseef, the UAE goalkeeper, said yesterday: “We are ready to play this important match against Tunisia. We will fight on the pitch and give our best in order to achieve the result that guarantees the team’s qualification for the quarter-finals.”
He added: “We value the support of our fans who are standing behind the team. We seek their support when we play against Tunisia also.”
Mondher El-Kabir, coach of the Tunisian national team, yesterday said he wants his team to go for the win against regional giants UAE.
Tunisia must win if they are to top the group and avoid facing hosts Qatar in the quarter-finals. The Carthage Eagles, who will be without the suspended Ben Romdhane Ali, can still qualify even if they draw or lose, in which case their fate will hinge on that Syria-Mauritania match.
“We started preparing for the UAE match after the match against Syria in which we lost. We suffered from the mistakes that we made and now we have worked to correct them despite the lack of time,” El-Kabir said yesterday.
“We have no choice in the UAE match but to go for a win. In this tournament you have only three days to prepare for every game and therefore we have to forget about the Syria match and think about the next match. We have to play with the required concentration. We will play the game as if it is a knockout clash. It is a decisive match for both sides,” the coach said.
On the availability of Ali Maaloul and al-Shekhawi, the coach said yesterday: “The backroom staff is still following up on the physical condition of both players and the medical staff will give us the green light if they can play the next match.”
Tunisian player Seif Al-Din al-Jaziri said yesterday: “We will be entering the UAE match with aims of going for a win. We are mentally ready for the match. Our loss against Syria was a shock for us but my teammates are confident of returning to winning ways when we play against UAE.”