The team’s failure is the responsibility of the coach and players… and not an administrative negligence

Sports analyst, Subit Khater, considered that the team’s failure is the responsibility of the coach and players and not an administrative negligence, and the Football Association does not bear responsibility for the national team’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, following the team’s loss to its Iraqi counterpart 1-2, the day before yesterday, at the conclusion of the Asian playoff qualifiers, pointing out that the Federation provided all means that would help the “Whites” succeed in qualifying.

Khater told “Emirates Today” that the team’s exit came in an unexpected way, explaining that the atmosphere that Emirati sports experienced in the recent period reflected a great state of cohesion and cooperation between sports institutions, from the Football Association to the Association and Sports Councils, which created a state of widespread optimism before playing the decisive matches. He added: “Everyone worked to provide all the reasons for success, from postponing the league matches to meeting all the requests of the technical staff, but the technical reality later revealed problems that gradually appeared during the matches.”

He explained that reading the numbers indicated the possibility of achieving good results, as the team won the four friendly matches and scored nine goals against only three conceded, which indicates clear offensive strength, but the defensive problem was present from the beginning and was not corrected.

He added: “In official matches, the team won only one match, conceded seven goals and scored six, which is a result that confirms that the defensive problems in the friendly matches continued without solutions.”

Khater pointed out that the multiplicity of changes and instability in the appropriate lineup had a direct impact on the team’s performance, considering that the coach did not focus on important details related to the type of players and their roles. He also stressed that the repeated talk about the problem of cross balls and warnings against committing mistakes were not translated into practical solutions on the field, especially since the elimination tournaments do not provide an opportunity for compensation.

He continued: “The good performance against Iraq was honorable, and the team played a strong match, and despite that, the Iraqi team deserved to qualify, as mistakes are common in football.”

Subit Khater called for a careful evaluation of the team’s technical project, to find out where the technical program has reached and what must be developed in the next stage, while he wondered about the reasons for the team not appearing at this level since the beginning of the tournament, considering that the coach was late in identifying the most appropriate elements for the formation and the most appropriate method.

He praised Yahya Nader’s performance in the last match, stressing that he played one of his best matches, assisted a goal, and imposed a great presence in the midfield. He considered him more influential than Nicolas Jimenez in the same position, and said: “Football is not always fair, but confidence must remain present, as success requires repeated attempts and not giving up.”

He stated that the Football Association provided all possible facilities to the team, and the public was a strong support inside and outside the Emirates, and everyone worked in one spirit, denying that the failure was due to administrative negligence, and stressed that the responsibility is shared between the coach and the players, as there are technical errors related to the coach’s choices, and errors caused by the players’ concentration on the field.

Regarding Ismail Matar’s statement after the match, not to hold coach Olario Cosmin responsible, Khater explained that his point of view differs, pointing out that the coach bears part of the responsibility due to unsuccessful decisions, including fielding players in positions other than their positions or relying on constant changes without settling on a formation that gives the desired harmony. He stressed that the team possesses distinctive elements, and it was supposed to make better use of them.

As for what concerns the next stage, he saw that the Arab Cup represents an important opportunity for the national team, whether for the coach or the federation, to correct mistakes and build clear technical stability. He stressed the necessity of holding a clear session between the two parties to determine long-term goals and work to address the defensive problems from now, indicating that time does not wait for anyone and that work must begin immediately in preparation for the 2027 Asian Cup.

He concluded that the team has the ingredients for success, and that the last match provides an indicator that can be built upon, calling for continuing to work with confidence without despair, because the path towards achieving goals requires patience and continuous efforts.

. Coach Kuzmin did not focus on important details regarding the type of players and their roles.