Al Jazira and UAE national team defender Khalifa Al Hammadi confirmed his confidence in his country’s team achieving victory over its Qatari counterpart, in the match that will bring them together tomorrow, Thursday, at Ahmed bin Ali World Cup Stadium, in the first round of the decisive round. For the World Cup qualifiers 2026.
And hopes UAE white In achieving a successful start when it visits the heavy guest of the Asian Cup champion in the last two editions, who will be supported by thousands of its fans in the stands, in a purely Arab derby, representing the summit of the opening of the World Cup qualifiers in their final stage.
Khalifa Al Hammadi confirms the UAE national team’s readiness to face Al Annabi
Khalifa Al Hammadi pointed out that his country’s team is fully prepared to face Qatar national teamIn response to a reporter’s question, win win During a press conference held today, Wednesday, at the stadium hosting the match, at Al Rayyan Club.
Al-Hammadi, Al-Jazira defender, spoke in response to a question about his direct confrontation with Akram Afif and his teammates tomorrow, saying: “First, we are ready for the match. The Qatari team is strong in all lines, not just in the attacking line, and as a group, we are a strong team.”
The 25-year-old player continued his speech by saying: “We are ready and we realize the importance of the match. We will be mentally present and live up to the confidence and take the three points.”
UAE coach regrets some absences
Portuguese Paulo Bento participated in the press conference alongside Khalifa Al Hammadi and said about his team’s line-up: “I think it is clear that we are on a new path with some new young players, some of whom have become important in the national team, and unfortunately we cannot count on all the players, as two players in the defence line will be absent due to injury, and they are important to us.”
Pinto indicated that he will try to choose the appropriate combination in the face of Al Annabi, saying: “We will try to play with the available formation. Sometimes it is not easy due to the circumstances and the pressure on us. We realize that there are many qualifying matches. We will try to play as a cohesive team regardless of the ages of the players. There will be an impact on our style of play, so we will need new players, but we must deal with the current circumstances.”
The whistle will blow for the start of the Qatar-UAE match at 7pm Mecca and Doha time and 8pm UAE time. The match is expected to be held behind closed doors after most of the match tickets have been sold.
