A press conference was held before the UAE - Uzbekistan match, which is part of the 9th round of the World Cup qualifying stage. In the first part, the hosts' coach Cosmin Olariu and goalkeeper Khalid Eysa participated.
"Good evening to everyone. It is an honor for me to be here. I believe that through my efforts, I can help this team achieve great success. It will not be easy, but we are ready for everything. Tomorrow will be a very difficult game. Uzbekistan is one of the best teams in the group. They play very organized and balanced football. We have tried to prepare as well as possible over the past week. Now we need to guide and motivate the boys correctly. It’s a big game and a big battle. We believe in our chances. We will fight with all our strength," said Cosmin Olariu before tomorrow's match.
"It is clear that it will not be an easy game. Now we have an experienced coach like Cosmin Olariu. This person has been working in the UAE for 10 years. We will give our all to achieve a successful result tomorrow," said Khalid Eysa.
- This is your first press conference as the head coach of the UAE national team. How was the preparation? What are the overall expectations?
- It is clear that a lot changes when there is a change in the head coach. I have known the players in the national team for many years. It is difficult to make significant changes in such a short time. Over the past week, we have been preparing. The players are very eager, and in some situations, I have told them that they need to calm down. I think this is a good quality.
- What are you expecting from the game against Uzbekistan?
Khalid Eysa:- To be honest, we are happy to work with Cosmin Olariu. He is a very experienced person with a great reputation. I have been defending the honor of the national team for 15 years and have been playing in clubs. He has a strong spirit. I have never seen a coach with such qualities. There are almost no coaches who can achieve the necessary results in such a short time like Olariu. I hope we will achieve success under his guidance.
- Your first meeting as the head coach of the UAE is approaching. The UAE wants to return to the World Cup after 35 years. What can you say about the current situation? The team has undergone a two-part preparation process...
- Thank you for the wishes. Understand one thing, I am just a small part of my team. I need to utilize all my capabilities because the players in the team have goals. If this squad qualifies for the World Cup, there could be significant changes in their careers. The fans are also expecting this. We know it will not be easy. Right now, the Uzbekistan national team is one of the strongest teams in Asia. Throughout my career, I have faced teams that were stronger than us many times.
- The fans have a lot of faith in the national team. What can you say to them?
- I believe we are closer than ever to qualifying for the World Cup. The entire nation believes in this now. We just need to continue our journey. In many matches, we were better than our opponents, but the results were not always what we expected. We all want to qualify for the World Cup. This is our dream. To achieve our dream, we need to unite in the next five days.
- Your previous team was "Sharjah." Will most of the players be recruited from that team?
- Which player? For me, it doesn’t matter if they are from "Sharjah," "Al Ain," or another team. The players from "Sharjah" have played under my guidance in recent seasons, but this is the national team. Only deserving and worthy players will take their place in the main squad. The players from "Sharjah" understand my instructions better. That’s the only difference. I need to gather the best players in the UAE, regardless of which team they come from.
