Al-Arabi team coach, Bahraini Issa Al-Saadoun, confirmed that he expects distinguished success for the UAE and Bahrain teams in the Arabian Gulf Cup (Gulf 26), which is hosted by Kuwait from December 21 to January 3 next.
He told “Emirates Today”: “Based on the technical capabilities of the Emirati and Bahraini teams, it is assumed that the Emirati white will lead the first group, and the Bahraini red will lead the second group, and that they will go far in the tournament.”
Al-Saadoun spoke about his experience with the Al-Arabi team, indicating that he is looking forward to leading the team to qualify for the ADNOC Professional League, for the first time in the club’s history, indicating that the UAE First Division League competitions are strong, and that Al-Arabi’s chance of qualifying is difficult but not impossible, as it requires diligent work. And achieving positive results in a sustainable manner.
Al-Arabi Club contracted with Al-Saadoun, at the beginning of the current season, to succeed the national coach, Badr Tabib Al-Shehhi, as technical director of the first team.
Coach Al-Saadoun said: “The First Division League is difficult, and there are many teams competing to snatch the two qualification tickets. As for us, we will work together with all our strength to invest in the elements of success to strengthen the team. We will plan each match separately and what it deserves, and we will search for every point in the tournament in an effort to achieve the desired goals. Which is promotion to the professional league.” He continued: “The competitions will stop until the 24th of this November, and we will work during this period to review the negative points to correct them, in addition to strengthening the positive points. During this period we will play more than one friendly match to prepare the team in the most appropriate way.”
Al-Arabi team occupies second place in the first division league standings, with 13 points, and a goal difference from leaders Al-Dhafra.
Al-Saadoun revealed that he had received more than one offer from clubs in the First Division to assume leadership duties, indicating that he chose Al-Arabi Club due to his knowledge of the elements of strength and ambition it possesses, in addition to its distinguished artistic standing, especially since it is one of the teams that has been competing for promotion for several years.
Al-Saadoun explained that he is anticipating November 24 to play the match between Al-Arabi and Hatta, which is coached by citizen coach Mohamed Jalbout, describing the match as a Gulf “derby”.
Beautiful memories
The Bahraini coach, Issa Al-Saadoun, revealed beautiful memories in his football life, including Al-Wasl Club when it beat them in the final of the Gulf Cooperation Council Club Championship in 2012, and won the title with the Bahraini team Al-Muharraq, where Al-Wasl was led during this period by the late coach, the Argentine legend. Diego Maradona described this period as “the most beautiful memories that will never leave him.”
Al-Saadoun confirmed that he invested in the victory over Al-Wasl, led by the legend Maradona, to later win with Muharraq in many tournaments, including the AFC Cup, at the expense of the Uzbek team Nasaf in the 2021 season, indicating that he is looking forward to achieving a new achievement with the Al-Arabi Club.
He explained: “At Al-Arabi Club, we have important elements to achieve our goals, represented by the club’s ambitious and cooperative board of directors, in addition to the quality of distinguished players from citizens, residents and foreigners, and there is also an audience that encourages us well, and these are important things, and we are working to invest this well to achieve the ambition.”
“Gulf 26” and the World Cup qualifiers
The Bahraini coach touched on the participation of the UAE and Bahrain national teams in the current World Cup qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, in addition to their expected participation in the upcoming Arabian Gulf Tournament (Gulf 26), which will be held in Kuwait next December, indicating that the UAE White is going through a transitional period, and needs a lot. Of the efforts to snatch one of the qualifying cards for the World Cup by investing in the good technical capabilities of a number of its distinguished players, and that it must achieve more victories, indicating that the Bahraini national team also needs to not give up points in the upcoming matches, in order to compete for the qualifying cards for the World Cup, indicating that The Bahrain national team’s opportunity is difficult.
He continued: “As for (Gulf 26), it is a tournament different from any other tournament, and it has its own circumstances, and it remains one of the strongest regional tournaments in football,” explaining that the draw placed the UAE in the first group alongside Kuwait, Qatar and the Sultanate of Oman, while Bahrain was placed with… Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Yemen are in the second group, and based on the capabilities of the technical teams, it is assumed that the UAE white and the Bahraini red will top their groups and go far in the tournament.”
Sports career
It is noteworthy that coach Issa Al-Saadoun began his coaching career in 1999 in Bahraini clubs, most notably Al-Muharraq and Al-Riffa, and he was able to win 11 championships as coach of the first team, which varied between the King’s Cup, the League Championship and the Super Cup, and two external championships with Al-Muharraq, namely the AFC Cup at the expense of Nasaf. Uzbekistan, and the Gulf Club Championship at the expense of Al-Wasl.
. Al-Arabi team needs continued positive results in order to ensure qualification to the “professional” stage.
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