'High Expectations' for Oman

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Tribune News Network Omani team for nine months Doha and I am happy with what the players have been doing. The Nine months into his job team has been doing well in as Oman head coach, Erwin the last period and focused on Koeman has been tasked with the physical side because it is retaining the Arabian Gulf important in delivering a very Cup which The Reds won in high performance, and we 2017. Oman begin their cam- have to find solutions to im- paign in Group B on Wednes- prove the level of players.” day against Bahrain at the Al Captain Ahmed Mubarak Duhail Stadium. stressed the team’s readiness The Dutch man was ap- and desire to retain the title. pointed shortly after Oman “The Gulf Cup is important dismal performance at the for all of us and our prepara- 2019 Asian Cup. Oman man- tions started for this tourna- aged just one win in the group ment after India’s match. We stage but managed to qualify have started preparing with for the last 16 – a 2-0 loss en- high concentration and we sured they’d go no further. have to make a great effort “We are ready and we have to win the Gulf title. We are been well trained and have here to defend the title, but we done the necessary work in expect it to be a very difficult the past days tournament. of this tourna- All the teams ment, and our Today’s Matches are strong and last training ready.” was this morn- Group B Meanwhile ing and we Oman vs Bahrain at Al Bahrain, who have high ex- have been run- pectations for Duhail Stadium 5.30pm ners-up four defending the Saudi Arabia vs Kuwait times head Oman’s Dutch coach Erwin Koeman (2nd left) addresses the media ahead of the Bahrain clash at the Al Duhail Stadium on Tuesday. title,”Koeman at Khalifa International into the tour- said on Tues- nament after day. Stadium 8pm two successive “Winning goalless draw Pressure is the tournament depends on in World Cup & Asian Cup several factors, including luck, Qualifiers. The team just last but we will try to focus on the week announced their partici- part of Gulf Bahrain game first and then pation in the Gulf Cup, but a talk about other things.” shot at their first title will mo- Cup: Kuwait Since the former Fener- tivate Helio Sousa’s men. bache of Turkey coach took “Bahrain is one of the coach Enad over, Oman have won four out founders of the Gulf Cham- of five matches, their only loss pionship and has reached Tribune News Network coming against Qatar in the the final four times. We are Doha Asian Cup qualifiers. Their here to play good and achieve recent good form has further something for Bahrain. We Kuwait coach Thamer Enad added to the expectations in are well prepared to win every said the Gulf Cup hasn’t aban- Oman but Koeman played game. The first game is very doned traditions and that down any talks of pressure on important and our goal is to teams are always under pres- his players. reach the semi-finals and then sure by the momentum that “There is no pressure at all, think about winning the title,” accompanies the prestigious and I am working to raise the Sousa said. tournament. pressure if it exists. I trust the “It will be a difficult game Thamer congratulated players and the strength of the against Oman, they are the Saudi Club Al Hilal for win- Omani lies in its cohesion and champions. For two or three ning the Asian Champions I am happy here to defend the years they have improved their League where he described the title and my first goal is to get to global rankings in FIFA and victory as a pride for Gulf and the semi-finals in this version. they have several strengths, all Arabs. “I have been with the but we are ready too.” Bahrain coach Bahrain coach Helio Sousa (2nd left) at the press conference. “We are here to play good and achieve something,” he said. Saudi gear up for ‘most important’ Kuwait match

We’ve to play against a good Kuwait team and Thamer Enad. be ready for the About his own team, he Wednesday’s said they were ready ahead of their Group B match against match: Saudi Saudi Arabia. coach Renard “We started the preparations in a foreign camp and Tribune News Network then played the West Asian DOHA Championship and then played several games in the Three-time champions Asian double qualifiers. We are Saudi Arabia coach Herve ready for the Gulf Cup which Renard has called his team’s has no specific standards and opening match against Kuwait we expect it to be difficult for in the Arabian Gulf Cup as everyone, as usual,” he said. the most important one of the On the first Gulf Cup as event for him. coach of the Blue, he said: “I “We are happy to partici- am in front of a great respon- pate in this tournament. Al- sibility. As a player, assistant though we are delayed and coach and a coach and I know the Hilal players have joined a lot about it is hidden. It is recently, we will try to walk Saudi Arabia coach Herve Renard (left) and captain Yahha Al Shehri during a press conference in Doha on Tuesday, the eve of their Arabian Gulf Cup match against Kuwait. very difficult off the pitch be- steady at the tournament,” he cause of the privacy that no told the news conference. League and some of them par- a good defensive performance injuries. one is unaware of, and this is Regarding the Kuwait ticipated on Saturday in the but were not successful in the “The Gulf Championship a wonderful feeling to contend game, he stated: “We know league championship. This “Unfortunately, our two players (Al Owais and attack.” is important for all teams, and the tournament this time as a we have to play against a good will affect the national team Al Buraik) were injured recently and most of “We do not have any expec- through our Asian qualifiers, coach of the Kuwaiti team. team and be ready for tomor- surely, to be honest, but foot- tations at the moment. All I am we have seen there is a great “The championship start- row’s game which is the most ball always has its own cir- the players participated on Sunday in the final focusing on is the match against development in all teams. ed before the first whistle and important for us in the tourna- cumstances but we have to act of the AFC Champions League 9won by Al Hilal Kuwait. I only got 12 players in “We are here with a new this is the nature of the moment despite some absences in the best possible way.” addition to the goalkeepers in coach in order to achieve our mentum that accompanies and circumstances, but we will He continued: “We knew club) and some of them participated on the previous training session ambitions,” he said at the it as you can see now at this try to provide a good image of about the participation in Saturday in the league championship. This will and I will see what will happen press conference ahead of press conference – a champi- Saudi football.” the Gulf Cup after the game tomorrow,” he said. facing Kuwait. onship that makes everyone Talking about the absence against Uzbekistan, and we affect the national team surely, to be honest, Saudi team captain Yahya On the preparations and lives under great pressure.” of Al Owais and Al Buraik, he played a very outstanding but football always has its own circumstances Al Shehri said that Al-Akhdar their impact on Al-Akhdar’s On the worries his side has said: “Unfortunately, these game and as promised, we is coming to compete despite ambitions, Al-Shehri said: “We faced, he said, “All I can say is two players were injured re- got a precious victory against but we have to act in the best possible way.” the circumstances they went are here to compete despite that Kuwait is far from the com- cently and most of the players Tashkent and then played through during the prepara- some injuries and absence of petition now, but inevitably will participated on Sunday in the against Paraguay without the – Saudi Arabia coach Herve Renard tion, most notably the absence Al Hilal players, but the coach return to top form as it was in final of the AFC Champions Hilal players and we provided of Al-Hilal players and some depends on everyone.” the past.”