We will deliver our best performance: Bahrain head coach Sousa
TDT | Manama
The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com
Defending champions Bahrain are ready to “deliver the best performance” in their semi-final clash against Oman tonight in the 25th Arab Gulf Cup in Iraq, in a game that “will be decided by the small details,” head coach Helio Sousa says.
The highly anticipated match is scheduled for an 8.15pm kickoff, Bahrain time, at Al Minaa Olympic Stadium in Basra.
Speaking yesterday in his pregame Press conference, Sousa said that the Kingdom’s senior men’s national team are expecting a hotly contested affair, but are determined to overcome the challenge.
“It will be for sure one more difficult game,” Sousa said. “It will be a game that will be decided by the small details. “It will be two very good teams with different ideas of playing; two teams that play with intensity and who will try to put their best qualities in place.
“It will be decided with little details. If it goes to a draw after 90 minutes and then extra time or penalties—most of the games between high quality and balanced teams, the details can make all the difference.
“It will be a very hard game and a fantastic game for the fans. We will deliver the best performance we can to achieve winning one more time.”
The fixture will be the first time Bahrain and Oman are meeting in a major competition since their contest in the FIFA Arab Cup in December of 2021, when the Omanis won convincingly 3-0.
Sousa said the Bahrainis have put past results behind them and are only looking forward to what they have to do in their upcoming challenges.
“We have tried to learn from the last time we faced them in the Arab Cup,” Sousa said. “We are breaking many barriers since we arrived here, so we are not looking too much in the past.
“Since that game we have played strong teams in the Gulf, in Asia and even the world; we played very good teams from Europe and other continents with different types of football.
“Oman have a very technical style with great strengths and great physical conditions too.
“We tried to learn from some of the mistakes we made before and some of the things we didn’t do so well in our last games; and even in the last three games the things we did not do well yet, we will try to improve to be best prepared to play against Oman.”
Sousa credited his players for their strong performances in their three preliminary round fixtures, which included 2-1 wins over the UAE and Qatar and a 1-1 draw with Kuwait.
“We arrive now in the semi-finals because we performed well,” said the Portuguese tactician.
“I think we played three fantastic games where we were always better than the opponent; or at least we got the better chances and we had good quality of playing football.
“For sure, we must do it even better than we did before, to be able to have the right conditions to win against Oman.”
Facing off in this evening’s other semi-final will be hosts Iraq and Qatar at 4.15pm at Basra International Stadium.
The two winners in the final four will meet in the title-decider on Thursday later this week.
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