Cairo, Egypt – Romanian coach Cosmin Olăroiu, manager of the UAE national team, confirmed the readiness of the Whites to face Iraq in the Asian play-off for the 2026 World Cup.
The UAE national team is scheduled to meet its Iraqi counterpart tomorrow, Thursday, at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, in the Asian play-off for the 2026 World Cup.
Cosmin said in statements during the pre-match press conference: “We are facing one of the most important matches in the history of our national team and we must perform at the best possible level, not be affected by the pressure, and focus only on our plan, and make the most of any opportunity that comes our way.”
He added: “We know that we are facing a well-organized and strong team… and we must be at our best and perform in the best possible way to achieve our goal.”
he Romanian coach continued: “Over the past few days, we have managed to help the players recover physically and mentally after their strenuous efforts. We know we are facing a well-organized and strong opponent, and the match will not be easy.”
Regarding how to stop the threat posed by Iraq’s striker Ayman Hussein, he commented: “We will not focus on stopping only Iraq’s striker Ayman Hussein, we will focus on stopping the entire team, and these matches are decided by small details.”
He added: “The Iraqi national team has a large number of outstanding players in European leagues, and we must avoid making mistakes during this stage of the qualifiers.”
Cosmin continued: “It is difficult for us to get over losing such an impactful match as the previous one, and for me it was painful. I always tell the players that our best teacher is the pain we feel after a loss, so that we learn from it and make sure that we do not experience this feeling again.”
Regarding the visit of the President of the Football Association, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, to the national team’s training session, he said: “The visit of the President of the Football Association is a great moral incentive for the players.”
He added: “He spoke to me directly after our match against Qatar, and there is no doubt that he played a major role in motivating the players.”
The winner of the UAE and Iraq matches is set to qualify for the global play-off for the 2026 World Cup.
