Khalid Eisa says UAE can turn years of work into Gulf Cup 27 glory

UAE goalkeeper Khalid Eisa says Tuesday’s Gulf Cup 27 final against Saudi Arabia represents the chance to reap the rewards of years of hard work and overcome adversity.

The two sides will meet at Al-Inma Stadium at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, with kick-off scheduled for 21:00 Mecca time.

Speaking at the pre-match news conference, Eisa stressed that the final would be decided by fine margins rather than simply the quality of the two teams.

“We have faced many challenges over the past few years, and in football the small details can be the factor that gives one team an advantage over the other,” he said.

The experienced goalkeeper said the UAE had learned from its mistakes and hoped the final would reflect the work carried out by the team in recent years.

“Football is about learning from mistakes and benefiting from them. We hope the Gulf Cup 27 final will be the harvest of what we have put in during the past period,” Eisa added.

He also called on supporters to remain patient with the national team and continue offering their backing, saying the players were expecting strong support in the final.

Eisa reserved particular praise for UAE manager Zlatko Dalic, pointing to the Croatian coach’s previous spell with Al Ain as evidence of his ability to improve a team quickly.

“Dalic is a wonderful coach and knows very well how to bring out the best in every player. He also understands clearly what the team needs,” Eisa said.

“When he arrived at Al Ain in 2016, we were going through a difficult season. The team was not in good shape and was competing for one title, but within a month he was able to understand what the team needed. After that, we managed to win our first trophy. He knows the way to win.”

The UAE have enjoyed a run of victories under Dalic, and Eisa said the squad hoped that sequence would continue through the final.

“Thank God for the winning run we have achieved. We hope it continues until the final match. We have produced satisfactory results with him, and many positive things have appeared in the team,” he said.

Eisa also highlighted the team’s progress in attack and defence, saying the UAE had become more adaptable in the final third while maintaining clean sheets.

“We now have greater variety in attack, while also keeping clean sheets. The team has become more cohesive, and we hope to continue working in this way and achieve our objective in the final,” he said.