Confident Qatar eye UAE scalp at Arabian Gulf Cup

Coach Bruno Pinheiro Thursday said Qatar camp is in high spirits ahead of the Arabian Gulf Cup match against the UAE today.Qatar, who arrived in Iraq with a relatively young squad, kicked off the eight-team tournament with a win against Kuwait but stalled when Bahrain won 2-1 on Tuesday.Pinheiro yesterday said his young team - with 3 points from two matches - is still in an upbeat mood for the final Group B clash today."We have high morale despite losing the last match. Bahrain are strong opponents and we were a bit unlucky in the match. Lack of concentration also hurt us but losing one match does not mean losing confidence in my players,” Pinheiro said at a pre-match press conference."We played in a balanced manner during the last two matches but now we are playing a very important and a difficult match,” he added."The UAE is a good team. Their results do not reflect the quality they have in their ranks but we have prepared well after our match against Bahrain especially from a physical point of view. We will change tactics. I feel my players have become more experienced. We have focused on physical recovery mostly,” he said."We have to continue what we are doing. I hope we are lucky (against the UAE). We had bad luck in the last match. We will focus now on what we can offer. We will try to control, keep ball possession, show our personality and the result will come,” the Qatar coach said."We did not play a bad match (against Bahrain). We controlled the match but lost focus at key moments. The players did not adapt while we waited for Bahrain to change tactics,” he said.Qatari midfielder Assem Madibo said yesterday: "We are not feeling any pressure (after the Bahrain loss). The loss, in fact, is a strong motivation for us to present a good match. We know the value of three points. We have addressed our weaknesses and we are eager to win against UAE.Madibo said Qatar squad was thankful to Iraq fans for their support at the Gulf Cup. "I thank the wonderful Iraqi fans. They have been with us since the first match. Their presence gives us strong motivation while we play in Iraq,” Madibo said.UAE coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena said his team needs to step up against Qatar."(I am) not satisfied with the performance and level we have seen so far. We know that we were not satisfied,” Arruabarrena said yesterday. "We live up to the ambition of the fans and are ready for next match. With the short period of time, we intensified the sessions with the players to avoid mistakes so we can perform well. We always focus on readiness. I have an initial squad that will be confirmed after the last training session,” the 47-year-old Argentine added.When asked about the Qatar challenge, he said: "The match is not a derby, but it is important for both teams. Qatar is a young team that also has experienced players. I worked there and know them well. They plan around ball possession. They are able to apply high pressure. Their players have a good level and the loss (against Bahrain) does not reflect their level of play.”The UAE coach said: "No one interferes with my choices. I worked for years with big clubs. I attend all matches for the clubs and communicate with the staff members. My choices are based on personal conviction. I have three injuries that have affected two positions and the players with me have the potential to execute our plans.”UAE player Yahya al-Ghassani said yesterday: "We were not good at the start of the tournament. We have to improve our image and we will not be satisfied except with victory.”He told reporters yesterday: "We have to positive results because we represent our country. All the players know their responsibilities well.”In another Group B clash today, defending champions Bahrain face Kuwait in a match that will start at 6pm.Iraq and Oman seal semi-final berthsHosts Iraq on Thursday crushed Yemen 5-0 to maintain top spot in Group A. This was Iraq’s second win in a row after their victory over Saudi Arabia last week. In the first match, Iraq and Oman played a goalless draw.Also yesterday, Oman secured their place in the last-four with a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia.Iraq and Oman have both finished the group stage with 7 points each. Saudi Arabia (3 points) and Yemen (0) failed to go past the first stage.The semi-finals will be played on January 16.