Oman head coach Rasheed Jaber praised his players’ resilience after being down to 10 players in the crunch semifinal against Saudi Arabia in the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup.
“The focus of the players helped us maintain our performance until the end of the match. The most challenging moments were after the red card and the goal scored by the Saudi team, which restored confidence to the Saudi players,” the Omani coach told a post-match press conference.
At the Jaber Al Mubarak Al Hamad Stadium, Omani striker Al Mundher al Alawi was sent off with a red card by Turkish referee Halil Olmut in the 34th minute after a foul on Saudi’s star player Salem al Dawsari.
The players deserve credit for the outstanding performance in a difficult situation, Jaber said.
“The match was difficult, but the players were focused and made a great effort, which they should be commended for.”
“During the half-time break, I spoke to the players about our ability to overcome and succeed despite the challenges, and that was evident in the second half.”
The Oman team is committed to make the fans happy, the coach added.
“We dedicate ourselves to making our fans happy, and the players gave their all to win the game.”
The coach said the Omani players displayed great professionalism during the match.
“We didn’t take any time-wasting tactics when we played almost 70 minutes with 10 players. We are committed to sportsmanship and professional attitude,” Jaber concluded.
‘OUR FAULT’
Saudi Arabia’s head coach Herve Renard expressed dissatisfaction with the loss, acknowledging, “The loss is our fault and no one else’s fault.”
The French coach highlighted the defensive lapses, particularly regarding the second goal conceded.
“In the second goal, we did not defend well, the defence was completely out of place,” he told reporters.
He emphasised the necessity of defensive enhancements, especially with upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
“We must improve on the defensive level if we want to succeed in the World Cup qualifiers, and not give the opponent this large number of opportunities.”
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