KUWAIT, Dec 21 (KUNA) -- The Qatari national soccer team will play against its Emirati counterpart in Jaber Mubarak Al-Sabah stadium on Saturday, in the first round of Group A competitions of the Arabian Gulf Cup, titled "Khaleeji Zain 26".
Both teams seek to secure the three winning points to increase their chances of qualifying to the next stage of the competition.
During the match's press conference held yesterday, Qatar's coach Luis Garcia noted that the first match in any tournament is always hard, as it gives the first impression of the team's level of performance, and has a huge impact on the players.
He expressed joy on having a team of young players, who can achieve positive results, adding that the preparation time for the competition was short.
On his part, UAE coach Paulo Bento said the preparation for the tournament was difficult due to the short time period, as some of the players are committed to their clubs in local and continental competitions.
He noted that fatigue and travel time prevents player from properly preparing for the event, adding that his team will exert all efforts to advance in the tournament despite the issues they faced. (end) sad.ag