Football player Ismail Matar expressed gratitude to the organization for the organization and holding of the friendly match between the champions of the Arabian Gulf Cup 18 and 21, which ended in a 2:2 draw. The team of the Department of Justice, vice-champion of the previous season, started in the Mansour bin Zayed Football Cup 2025 with a victory over the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research team 7:1. Last year, the team suffered a defeat in the finals for the title, but at this stage strengthened its squad, inviting ex-international forward Sebastián Tagliabue, who scored a goal and led the team. His partner Luka Junior scored a hat-trick, Jos Victor scored twice, and the goal for the Emirates Center was scored by Khalifa Maskari.
In the next match of the same group, the finance sector secured a victory over the Bureau of Audit and Institutional Development with a score of 2:1. Peter Souti and Mohammed Ahmed scored for the financiers, while the goal for the Bureau of Audit was realized by Hamza Zanati. The forward of the Department of Justice, Luka Junior, was the player of the match and scored the first hat-trick of the current season. In the second match, the finisher of the finance sector, Abdallah Yaqoob, was recognized as the best player for outstanding saves.
Islam Matar expressed admiration for the organization of the first demonstration match between the stars of the national team in the Arabian Gulf Cup 18 and 21 within the framework of the opening of the Mansour bin Zayed Football Cup. He noted that this match returned players' pleasant memories and praised the efforts of the organizers. The star of the tournament, Omar Abdulrahman, also emphasized the high level of competition for the title and professionalism of the participants, calling on the teams to enjoy the atmosphere of the rivalry and wishing success to all participants.
