National team coach and technical analyst Dr. Abdullah Masfar emphasized the importance of the national football team's upcoming mission against Iraq in the UAE, stating that the second leg match on the 18th, away against the Iraqi team and in front of their fans in Basra Stadium, will not be easy. He urged the team to win the first leg with a margin of at least two goals to simplify the second leg task in case of a draw or even a one-goal loss. Masfar described the Iraqi team as 'strong' and possessing distinguished players. Masfar stated that it is in the national team's interest to overcome the Iraqi team in the upcoming encounter, and the 'Al-Abda' (the UAE team's nickname) must take advantage of playing the first match at home and in front of their fans to not waste a great chance of qualifying for the next round. Regarding the strong points and assets in the team that coach Olarion Cosmin should rely on, Masfar confirmed that 'the team has good players, but its problem throughout the previous qualifiers, even in its last match against the Qatari team, lies in defensive gaps and impactful individual errors that led to conceding many goals, resulting in failure to qualify. Such errors must be corrected to avoid repetition.' Masfar explained that the presence of three players from Al-Wahda club—Lucas Pimenta, Ruphin Philip, and Alaaeddin Zuhair—would strengthen the defense if they are on the pitch together. He expects that coach Cosmin will heavily rely on this trio due to the understanding between them, which will be a good thing as this trio has been playing together for their club Al-Wahda. Therefore, the team's defensive situation will be good if they play. He continued: 'Regarding the attacking aspect, the team also has great potential if utilized properly.' When asked about his nominations for playing in the forward line in the absence of Fabio Lima due to a recent injury to his adductor muscle, Masfar said: 'The team has no problem with players, especially in the forward line. Coach Cosmin has many options in the attack, alongside the presence of Harib Abdullah, Ali Saleh, and Sultan Adel, who can have a clear impact if he plays, as he has been scoring crucial goals in all the matches he played with the team.' Masfar described the national team's striker Muhammad Awad Allah as an 'excellent player,' noting that he knows him well and is aware of his technical abilities since he was 18 years old. He stressed that Muhammad is a fast and strong player, and the decision to include him in the starting lineup is up to coach Cosmin. The team has no problem in the forward line despite Lima's absence due to injury.
