The national football team will enter the most important stage of the current year 2025, when it plays two heavy-caliber matches next March, as part of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup finals, where the Portuguese coach, Paulo Bento, will have the opportunity to employ six new players who will provide him with solutions. To get rid of the problems he faced in the Gulf Football Cup “Gulf 26”, which concluded in Kuwait, last Saturday.
Starting this year, Caio Lucas, Lucas Pimenta, Richard Akonnor, Luan Pereira, Jonatas and Alaa Zuhair are officially entitled to join the national team and participate with the “Whites” in the upcoming matches.
The national team will play two decisive matches in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in America, Mexico and Canada. It will play a difficult match away from home to Iran on March 20, then play again away from North Korea on the 25th of the same month.
“Al-Abyad” occupies third place in the first group standings with 10 points, six points behind leaders Iran with 16 points, and Uzbekistan is in second place with 13 points, while the Qatar national team is in fourth place with seven points, and Kyrgyzstan is fifth with three points, while there are North Korea is in sixth and last place with two points.
The two matches are crucial to the team’s journey in the qualifiers, as their results will determine the team’s chances of competing for two direct qualification tickets to the World Cup, or limiting its chances to competing for third and fourth places and qualifying for the playoffs.
The joining of the six players to the national team in the coming period provides exemplary solutions to the problems that the team suffered in all lines, as Al-Wahda players, Lucas Pimenta and Alaa Zuhair, will strengthen the defense line. As for Al Jazira player Richard O’Connor and Sharjah player Iwan Pereira, they form a strong addition to the midfield, while Sharjah player Caio Lucas and Al Wasl player loaned from Al Ain Jonatas will provide additional solutions to the attacking line as they excel at playing in the wing position.
For his part, sports analyst Rakan Jassim Al-Ajmi confirmed that coach Paulo Pinto will have a very good opportunity to fill the shortcomings that needed strengthening in the national team’s squad.
Al-Ajmi told Emirates Today: “The most prominent feature that distinguishes the names that will be available to join (Al-Abyad) in the coming period is that they represent a great diversity in all positions.”
He explained: “Although I do not agree with the attack that occurred on the player Khalifa Al Hammadi after his participation in (Gulf 26), as he is one of the very distinguished players, and the mistakes he committed in the tournament could happen to any player, but without a doubt, Lucas Pimienta’s joining Alaa Zuhair is a strong addition to the defense line.”
He continued his speech: “The same applies to the midfield with the addition of Richard Akonnor and Luan Pereira, and in the attack, Caio Lucas and Jonatas.”
He pointed out that the question mark over the coach’s choices is the failure to clarify the non-calling of some players, and he said: “The sports street has the right to know the reason for the non-joining of some players, such as Ali Mabkhout and Ali Saleh, especially since if the exclusion was for personal reasons, this is not logical, and it is in the interest of “The team is most important in the first place.”
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