The team’s problem is technical, led by coach Kuzmin

Athletes confirmed that the reasons for the team not qualifying for the 2026 World Cup revolve around the technical issues that are directly borne by the Romanian coach, Elario Cosmin, in terms of repeated and fatal defensive errors, the absence of a technical imprint, in addition to the absence of a striker capable of translating opportunities into goals, following the team’s loss, the day before yesterday, to its Iraqi counterpart, by two goals to one, in the return match that was held at Basra International Stadium, as part of the Asian playoff qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

They pointed out that although the team played one of its best matches against Iraq, it did not succeed in translating the performance into a positive result, blaming Kuzmin for the failure and technical problems, as they put it.

The athletes told Emirates Al-Youm that “the team’s problem is primarily technical,” explaining that although the team has an elite group of the most prominent players in the UAE League, the coach failed to find the appropriate combination, and did not settle on a fixed lineup since taking over, which contributed to losing the opportunity to qualify for the World Cup.

They explained that Cosmin did not succeed in addressing the repeated defensive lapses, especially those committed by the midfielder, Yahya Nader, after he committed two influential mistakes that caused the team’s loss, the first by scoring an own goal, and the second by causing the penalty kick from which Iraq scored the winning goal.

Repetition of errors

For his part, the technical analyst, Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadi, confirmed that the team’s exit from the qualification race actually occurred since it lost the opportunity to qualify directly from the group stage. He added that the team had a golden opportunity during its last meeting with Qatar, but wasted it, before also wasting a new opportunity through the Asian playoff.

Al-Awadhi said in response to a question about the reasons for the failure: “One of the reasons for the exit is the absence of experienced players, the repetition of defensive mistakes, and the lack of consistency in a clear formation in the back line. We have good elements, but the management of some matches was not successful, and the coach lacked courage in several confrontations.”

He added: “What passed is over, and the elements of strength, weakness, and available opportunities must now be identified and worked on.” When asked who bears responsibility, Al-Awadhi stressed that “the entire system bears responsibility for what happened, especially the coach.”

Technical problem

In turn, the former World Cup player, Ali Thani, said, “The problem was clear from the beginning. The team lacked technical leadership that kept pace with the ambitions of UAE football.” He added that it was difficult for the team to reach as far as it did, describing the problem as “purely technical,” given the coach’s failure to employ the players correctly, despite having a group of the best strikers in the league.

Ali Thani stressed that what happened represents a “huge disappointment,” calling on the Football Association to review the situation and correct the course.

Passion for winning

For his part, the former international referee, Abdullah Al-Ajel, said that the team missed the opportunity to qualify directly from the beginning of the qualifying campaign, even though it was the easiest, explaining that the repeated defensive mistakes were behind the loss to Iraq, which is not superior to the team in terms of technical capabilities.

He pointed out that the team conceded two goals in the same scenario that was repeated against Qatar in the previous match, pointing out that “Al-Abyad” started the match against Iraq well during the first quarter of an hour, but then lost the fighting spirit and passion to win in a match that was fateful.

Al-Ajel stressed the importance of discipline on and off the field, and the necessity of applying the principle of reward and punishment, calling on the national team players to review themselves.