5 reasons that gave “white” a deserved victory over “red”

The UAE national football team played one of its best matches in recent years, after turning the tables on its Omani counterpart and coming from a goal down to a 2-1 victory, the day before yesterday, in the second round of the Asian playoff qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals.

The UAE national team earned three points to take the lead in Group A, while the Oman national team’s balance froze at one point from two matches, equal with Qatar. The UAE national team is one step away from qualifying for the World Cup finals for the first time since 1990, as only a draw with Qatar in the final round tomorrow is enough to secure a direct qualification ticket in the fourth stage of the Asian qualifiers.

The victory was not a coincidence, but rather came as a result of a combination of coach Olario Cosmin’s precise technical reading, smart changes, and the remarkable brilliance of goalkeeper Khaled Issa, in addition to the public support and physical superiority in the second half.

Below are the most prominent factors that made the difference and gave “White” a deserved victory over “Red.”

Kuzmin’s intelligence

Romanian Olario Cosmin proved once again that he is the type of coach who is able to read the details of matches intelligently and calmly. After a first half in which the team did not perform as expected, Cosmin made a pivotal adjustment to the method of play, shifting the plan from 4-3-3 to 4-1-3-2, which provided more space for attack and pressure on Oman’s defence. This tactical change restored balance to the Whites and allowed… By increasing the intensity in the attacking depth and creating more opportunities, which paved the way for Caio Lucas’ valuable goal.

Young elements

Cosmin was not satisfied with the tactical adjustment, but rather strengthened the team with young players who made a difference on the field, especially the duo, Harib Abdullah and Ali Saleh, who gave a distinguished performance, thanks to their speed and active movements on the flanks. Their presence gave “White” a new offensive dimension, and contributed to confusing the Omani defense and opening spaces for the attackers, so that White translated its superiority effectively in the final third of the match. Pitch.

Khaled Issa

Goalkeeper Khaled Issa played the starring role in the Oman match and was one of the undisputed most prominent stars of the match, as he brilliantly blocked a powerful shot from Abdul Rahman Al-Mushafri in a crucial moment that kept the score tied, before Caio gave Al-Abyad the lead. His brilliance did not stop there, as he continued to shine by blocking a missile shot from Muhammad Al-Ghafri, maintaining “Al-Abyad’s” lead until the final whistle.

Public attendance

The Emirati team received great public support at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, which hosted the match, as the fans played the role of player No. 12 with their chants and constant encouragement, and the voice of the Emirati fans remained present at every moment, which reflected positively on the morale of the players, and increased their determination to provide a strong performance and achieve victory.

Physical superiority

It seemed clear that the Omani team was suffering from a noticeable physical decline throughout the first 45 minutes of the match, and they were unable to keep up with the “White” players in the second half, while the UAE players maintained their high rhythm and physical focus until the end of the match, which enabled them to impose their control over the match, and exploit the open spaces in the opponent’s defense intelligently and effectively.