DUBAI: Ali Khaled looks at where tonight’s Gulf Cup final clash in Kuwait may be won and lost and who may well hold the key to victory…
UAE
DEFENSE: Faultless, at least statistically. Alberto Zaccheroni has unsurprisingly imbued a sense of solidity and pragmatism in the UAE’s defense that was perhaps missing from the Mahdi Ali era. The long-standing center-half partnership of Mohanad Salem and Ismail Ahmed has been ably backed by the rest of the team. The result, not a single conceded in Kuwait.
MIDFIELD: With Omar Abdulrahman the focal point, the UAE’s midfield is always likely to conjure up moments of magic. However, it is clear he is often burdened with almost all of the creative responsibility. Teams have worked out that stopping him stops regular supply of chances to the front men. No goals from open play so far in the tournament shows it often works.
ATTACK: The UAE have reached the final having scored only one goal in the entire tournament, and a penalty at that. Success has been built on solidity, but it is undeniable the attack has been poor. So often Ali Mabkhout and Ahmed Khalil step up in tournament play, but they have yet to do so in Kuwait and have surrendered possession on too many occasions. Improvement is needed tonight.
STAR MAN: He might not have hit the heights of the 2013 Gulf Cup or 2015 Asian Cup yet, but Omar Abdulrahman remains the UAE’s great hope by some distance. His man of the match performance in the tight, tense semifinal against Iraq shows he could be running into form at the right time.
OMAN
DEFENSE: Having taken the lead against Bahrain in the semifinal, Oman had to withstand heavy pressure in the closing stages and they managed to deal with it heroically. In fact, the only goal conceded in the tournament came from the UAE’s Ali Mabkhout penalty in the opening-day loss, indicating an increasing stability and confidence as the competition has progressed.
MIDFIELD: Against Bahrain Pim Verbeek played a 4-2-3-1 formation. Should he stick with that winning formula, expect even less space for Abdulrahman in particular to play between the lines, were he tends to be most effective. Veteran Ahmed Kano, man of the match against Bahrain, will add the solidity at the base of midfield while the lone striker will be aided by an attack minded trio behind him.
ATTACK: Once again, the attack will be led by Khalid Al-Hajjri, who will look for support from the likes of Raed Ibrahim and Harib Al-Saadi behind him, as well as wide man Saad Suhail who excelled in the semifinal. Alternatively, Verbeek could introduce a second forward in Abdulaziz Al-Muqbali.
STAR MAN: At 32-years-old and with a remarkable 151 internationals under his belt, Oman captain Ahmed Kano remains an inspiration for his teammates and fans, especially in the absence of Ali Al-Habsi. He has already scored the winning goal against Kuwait and was named man of the match in the semifinal. A Gulf Cup winners medal would be a fine way to cap his international career.