Athletes and technical analysts held the Portuguese national football team coach, Paulo Bento, with the greatest responsibility for the loss to Kuwaiti Blue 1-2 in the second round of the “Gulf 26” tournament, due to the starting lineup and the technical substitutions he made, in addition to the strange change of positions of some players. , as they put it.
Technical observers were expecting Al-Abyad to win the match due to his high potential, possession of the ball, and frequent access to the Kuwaiti goal, but repeated defensive errors led to the defeat, which made it difficult for Al-Abyad to qualify for the semi-finals.
They told Emirates Al-Youm: “The lack of stability in the squad led to the loss after Pinto excluded four players who participated mainly against Qatar: Khaled Al-Dhanhani, Yahya Nader, Issam Fayez and Bruno Oliveira, and the coach’s interventions were not successful, as he did not find solutions to the defect in the system.” Defensiveness, especially at the level of Khalifa Al Hammadi and Kwame, which was repeated in more than one match, in addition to the crisis of the absence of the outright striker, as well as the risk of paying. “With new players appearing for the first time in the tournament.”
The athletes demanded not to be harsh on Khalifa Al Hammadi because such a loss is borne by the entire system, also pointing out that the Mauritanian referee Dahan Beida’s expulsion of defender Kouame and his failure to award a penalty kick to the team is also considered one of the factors behind Al-Abyad’s loss.
Unfixed assortment
Sports analyst Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadi said: “Pinto bears responsibility for the loss because he chose the wrong starting lineup for the team, as well as bad changes and playing without a clear tactic or plan, in addition to the coach’s random convictions.”
He explained: “There is no explanation for the substitutions made by the coach and the change of positions of some players, especially after the team was playing comfortably. For example, Harib Abdullah was pressing on the wing and posing a great danger to Kuwait’s goal, but the coach changed his position to play full-back, knowing that he “It is not his primary position even with his club.”
Al-Awadhi added: “I also did not find an explanation for Lima’s change in the 85th minute, as the team was on the right path until the change happened, and I also believe that the coach’s mistake was the lack of consistency in the starting lineup, not to mention the poor scoring and the presence of Caio Canedo as a striker.” Ahmed Al-Awadi considered that “the match referee had a role in sending off defender Kwame, and there was also a penalty kick for the team that was not counted.” He stressed that the player Khalifa Al Hammadi should not be held responsible for the loss, considering that the loss is borne by the entire system, wishing the team better luck in the next match.
Fatal errors
For his part, the former international football referee and former Emirates Club football team manager, Abdullah Al-Ajel, said that the course of the match indicated the possibility of the team winning due to the difference in technical capabilities between it and its Kuwaiti counterpart.
He explained: “There was an absence of seriousness in this match, in addition to the defensive errors,” noting that “the Kuwaiti team was more aggressive, serious, and took responsibility in the match, despite its lack of technical capabilities compared to our team.” Al-Ajel added: “There was a meaningless expulsion of the player Kwame, as well as errors by the player Khalifa Al-Hammadi, who caused the two goals, in addition to the fact that there was recklessness on the part of some of the national team players in front of the goal and not taking advantage of opportunities.”
He continued: “The chances are good to qualify, and the team has no choice but to win against the Omani team,” stressing that “the Emirati White team has the technical ability to win as it is the first candidate for the title,” stressing that “this matter requires the players to be more serious and more responsible.”
Defense system
As for the sports analyst and players’ agent, Walid Al Shamsi, he said: “The defect is clear, especially at the level of the defensive system, especially Khalifa Al Hammadi and Kouami, which caused the team to lose in more than one match, as happened against the Uzbek national team in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, and the draw against Qatar in the opening match. In the Gulf Cup, and finally against Kuwait.
Al Shamsi added: “I do not want to be harsh on the player Khalifa Al Hammadi, but he is a key player in this loss.”
He stressed that “Coach Pinto should have settled on a fixed, clear-cut squad,” stressing that “the team needs great work by the coach, especially in light of his failure to find solutions to the defensive problems that have always been repeated.”
He added: “There are other reasons behind this loss, which are the absence of the clear striker and sometimes relying on Caio Canedo only, in addition to the lack of harmony between the players and the pressure of the tournament matches.”
Al Shamsi stressed that the duo, Yahya Al Ghassani and Hareb Abdullah, have a good future ahead of them, but they need double the work.
Al Shamsi believed that among the mistakes made by the national team coach was the risk of bringing in new players in this tournament, as most of them lacked the experience required in such a tournament, which has its own peculiarities for the national team and all teams, pointing out that Pinto was supposed to seek the help of players with great experience, such as Ali Mabkhout, Shaheen Abdul Rahman, Ali Saleh, and Majed Hassan.
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