The UAE goalkeeper provokes Saudi Arabia before the Gulf Cup 27 final: our coach knows the road to titles
Saudi Arabia final: the harvest of years of toil
Khalid Eisa, the UAE national team goalkeeper, insists the Gulf Cup "Gulf 27" final against Saudi Arabia is far more than just a match. It is the decisive moment to reap the fruits of years of work and challenges, and he believes the small details are what will crown the champion.
The UAE meet Saudi Arabia tomorrow, Tuesday evening, at Al-Inma Stadium in King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah. This eagerly awaited Gulf summit kicks off at nine o'clock in the evening Mecca time.
Speaking at the press conference before the final, Eisa said: "We have faced many challenges over the past years, and in football the simple details may be the factor that gives one team the advantage over the other."
The veteran keeper added: "Football depends on learning from mistakes and benefiting from them, and we hope that the Gulf 27 final will be a harvest of the work we have put in over the past period. We ask the fans to be patient with this team and to continue supporting it, and we expect great backing from them in the final."
Eisa also praised the abilities of UAE head coach Zlatko Dalic, pointing to the Croatian's previous success with Al Ain. "Dalic is a wonderful coach and knows well how to extract the best from each player, and he is also clearly aware of the team's needs," he explained.
He went on: "When he arrived at Al Ain in 2016, we were going through a difficult season, and the team was in a bad state and competing for just one title, but within a single month he was able to understand what the team needed, and after that we managed to win our first title. He knows the path to victories."
"Praise be to God for the run of victories we have achieved, and we hope it continues up to the final match," he noted. "We have achieved satisfying results with him, and there are many positive things that have appeared in the team."
He signed off: "We now have greater variety in the attacking side, in addition to keeping clean sheets, and the team has also become more cohesive. We hope to continue working in this way and to achieve the goal in the final."
