“Bad luck accompanies the UAE national team.”

The coach of the Romanian national football team, Olario Cosmin, confirmed that Al-Abyad is ready to face the Egyptian team tomorrow, Saturday (22:30 UAE time), in the second round of Group C in the 2025 Arab Cup in Qatar, despite the difficulty of facing a team that he described as “one of the best teams in the tournament.”

Cosmin said during the introductory press conference held today, Friday: “Despite the difficulty of the match against a strong team like Egypt, we are ready.” We have to find the right solutions after what happened in the previous match against Jordan, which the team lost by two goals to one.

He added: “In the Jordan match, we were not in good condition, and tomorrow we face one of the best teams in the tournament. The Egyptian national team has high possession and a strong attack, and it is one of the best teams I have seen here.”

Cosmin stressed the importance of the players giving everything they had in the match, saying: “We gave our best against Jordan, but we lost due to some mistakes. What happened was like a test, and we must not give up despite the pressure resulting from not qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.”

He revealed that the national team suffers from the lack of a number of its players participating with their clubs on a regular basis, which affects their readiness.

The Romanian coach confirmed that he will make some changes in the starting lineup, explaining: “The players must realize that they are playing for the national team and not for the club. Some of the changes in the Jordan match were not positive, and despite that, we did not deserve to lose.”

Cosmin described the Egyptian team as strong offensively, noting that he watched its last match against Kuwait. He added: “Egypt failed to score a penalty kick, but it remains one of the strongest teams in the tournament.”

He continued: “Bad luck affects the team in many matches. We have to find the strength within us to move forward. “It is an experience and test for everyone to play under psychological pressure.”

The coach stressed the importance of maintaining consistency and not losing control during the match against Egypt.

Cosmin concluded his speech by saying: “The national team is suffering from playing two matches in a short period, so we are making changes.” The player who participates must be influential in the group.”