The head coach of the Bani Yas team, Fahad Az-Zin'hani, confirmed his dream of signing for the national football team until the last day of his career and the end of his playing activities. He noted that it offers all opportunities for his return to the team, supporting players currently in the squad of the White team. Az-Zin'hani expressed hope that Khalid Essa, Ali Khaseef, Hamad Al-Mukbali and Khalid Tohid, who are currently in the squad, can realize the dream of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
He emphasized: "No one player dreams of staying aside from the national team. I will fiercely train and play on the field to show better results. But playing for the national team — that's a matter of justice. I wish good luck to the current players of the White team and believe in them. In the future, we will support them."
Fahad Az-Zin'hani (33 years old) is considered one of the best goalkeepers in the Pro League, where he has played 295 matches since the start of his career in the 2014-2015 season. However, he rarely appeared in the national team during this time frame. In the current season, he has played 18 matches, missed 35 goals and remained unbeaten in only two games.
Regarding the performance of the Bani Yas team in the current season, he remarked: "Bani Yas has faced difficulties at the start of the season. Ahead of us lies a very tough period. Thanks to good fortune, the players, and the management, the team returned to its natural level of strength and spirit after difficulties with missed goals. We lost to teams we should have beaten, but that's football. Sometimes you play well, but don't win, and sometimes you don't perform well and still win."
In relation to Bani Yas's ambitions in the league, Az-Zin'hani said that "the core goal of the team is to secure at least sixth place." He added: "The gap in points between Bani Yas and the other teams in the upper part of the table is not large. Ultimately, we need to look forward, not dwelling on the past. The team returned to form in the last game against Shabab Al-Ahli, showing beautiful football with great enthusiasm and was close to scoring goals. Therefore, I ask the players to lift their heads and concentrate on the upcoming period."
Currently, Bani Yas occupies 11th place in the tournament table with 19 points, having suffered 9 defeats. The team encountered a number of problems at the beginning of the season, which led to the change of the coaching staff and the return of the former coach Isail to the position of head coach.
