Bento Anticipates Tough Match Against Qatar

Paulo Bento, head coach of the United Arab Emirates national football team, has labeled the upcoming Gulf Cup match against Qatar as a significant challenge. He attributes this to Qatar's formidable capabilities and the brief preparation period leading up to the tournament. Bento stated, 'This opening match will undoubtedly be tough for several reasons, including facing a strong team and the short preparation time for this tournament.'

Despite recent victories over Qatar, Bento cautioned against complacency, emphasizing that past successes do not guarantee future results. He remarked, 'Our recent achievements against Qatar are positive, but we do not dwell on them or allow them to mislead us into thinking the upcoming match will be easy, especially since Qatar is fully prepared for this encounter.'

Addressing the absence of Qatar's key player, Akram Afif, Bento noted that it does not alter the UAE's approach or lead them to underestimate their opponents. He commented, 'Akram Afif is an important and influential player, but his absence does not change our preparation or cause us to take this game lightly.'

Bento also highlighted the challenges posed by the tournament's schedule, particularly the short intervals between matches, which could impact player recovery and performance. He concluded, 'These competitions are generally tough, but one of the main challenges is the short time between games and the recovery issues for players.'