Gulf Summit for the "Bronze" of the Arab Cup

The UAE national football team aims to achieve a moral victory and reconcile with its fans when it faces the Saudi national team at 3 PM today at Khalifa International Stadium, in the match determining the third and fourth places, as part of the final day of the 2025 Arab Cup held in Doha.

The "White" team seeks to secure third place and the bronze medal after failing to reach the final following a 3-0 loss to Morocco in the semifinals, while the Saudi team lost to Jordan by a single goal.

The match against a strong opponent like Saudi Arabia, qualified for the 2026 World Cup, represents a new opportunity for the technical staff, led by Romanian coach Olaroiu Cosmin, to work on correcting defensive mistakes and weaknesses, as well as the offensive shortcomings that affected the team's performance, especially in their last match against Morocco.

The match holds a special character as it represents a traditional Gulf summit, always marked by strength, competitiveness, and excitement, given the long history of official and friendly encounters between the two teams. Their last official meeting ended in a goalless draw on December 25, 2017, during the group stage of the 23rd Arabian Gulf Cup held in Kuwait.

The UAE technical staff is expected to make some minor changes to the starting lineup depending on the players' physical and health conditions and their readiness, considering the fatigue suffered by some players due to the match congestion and lack of sufficient rest periods since the tournament began, in addition to several players suffering varying injuries, which may make their participation a risky gamble.

Cosmin relies on several key players in the team, provided they reach the required physical and technical readiness, most notably Nicolas Gimenez, Caio Lucas, Bruno Oliveira, and Yahya Al Ghassani.

On the other hand, the Saudi team aims to win and claim third place and the bronze medal, reconciling with its fans after failing to compete for the championship title, as part of preparations for the 2026 World Cup finals, after being drawn into Group H alongside Spain, Cape Verde, and Uruguay.

The "Green" team, led by French coach Hervé Renard, includes a group of distinguished players who successfully led the team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, including Mohammed Kanno, Saleh Aboulshamat, Firas Al-Buraikan, and Salem Al-Dawsari.