The team loses the Arab Cup.. and Ali Saleh: “We must review our accounts.”

The captain of the national football team, Ali Saleh, confirmed that the “White” players will work to review their accounts in the coming period, as he put it, after losing to the Moroccan team 0-3, yesterday, at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, in the semi-finals of the Arab Cup.

Ali Saleh said in press statements: “I thank the Emirati fans who came to the stadium to support the team and did not neglect us,” adding: “The rest periods between each match and another in the Arab Championship were short, but this is no excuse for us.”

The “Atlas Lions” qualified for the final match scheduled for the day after tomorrow, while the “Whites” will play in the match for third place on the same day.

“Al-Abyad” paid the price for fatal defensive errors, in addition to wasting the easy opportunities it had, and the Emirati fans were disappointed, after they had hoped that the team would reach the farthest point in the tournament and compensate for the failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

“Al-Abyad” presented an unconvincing performance in the first half and most of the playing minutes, and wasted opportunities at the beginning of the second half that were enough to tip the balance in its favor, but it lacked a player capable of translating opportunities into goals, while rising goalkeeper Hamad Al-Muqbali shined.

Morocco ended the first half ahead with a goal by Karim El Berkaoui in the 28th minute, exploiting a fatal defensive error, while Morocco added two goals in the second half through Ashraf El Mahdioui in the 83rd minute and Abdel Razzaq Hamdallah in the 90th minute + 3.

In the details, the 13th minute represented the first dangerous attempt by the Moroccan team against the Emirati team, after Walid Azaro shot a powerful header, which was blocked by the defense and goalkeeper Hamad Al-Muqbali.

In the first half, the team suffered from slowness in building attacks properly, in addition to clear gaps in clearing Morocco’s crosses, as well as the divergence of its lines between defense, midfield and attack, in contrast to Morocco’s control over the course of the game. During the first half, the team also lacked the exploitation of available opportunities and the courage to initiate an attack, except for some individual attempts.

The Moroccan team seemed the best in terms of possession and spread, and scored the lead goal from the first real opportunity through Karim El-Barkaoui (28), with a strong vertical shot on the right side of the goal, taking advantage of a cross ball and taking advantage of the absence of good defensive coverage by defender Philippe Robben.

The team’s appearance changed in the second half, and it seemed the best and most in control of the game, but it lacked focus and the final touch, and wasted scoring opportunities, as Caio Lucas, Bruno Oliveira and Yahya Al-Ghassani threatened the Moroccan goal with several attempts, the most dangerous of which were Caio Lucas’s two attempts in the 46th and 48th minutes, and Bruno Oliveira’s header shot that hit the post in the 52nd minute.

The national team coach, Cosmin, made changes to strengthen the offensive side, with the entry of Ali Saleh, Sultan Adel, and Richard Akonnor.

The last minutes witnessed intense offensive pressure from the national team to adjust the result, and Al-Abyad led several dangerous attempts through Sultan Adel, Caio and Al-Ghassani, but they were blocked by the goalkeeper and the Moroccan defense at the right moment.

The Moroccan team dashed Al-Abyad’s hopes of returning to the match, after Ashraf El Mahdioui was able to add the second goal in the 83rd minute, taking advantage of a fatal defensive error, before Abdel Razzaq Hamdallah added the third goal in the 93rd minute due to defensive lapses, ending the match with Morocco’s 3-0 victory.