The United Arab Emirates (UAE), led by head coach Paulo Bento, will face Iran in the third Group C match of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup at Education City Stadium in Alaiyan, Doha, Qatar, at 0 a.m. on the 24th (Korea time). The UAE is second in the group with one win and one draw (4 points), and Iran is first in the group with two wins (6 points). 토토사이트 순위
The UAE had a pleasant first-round win under Bento’s leadership. Team Bento displayed an overwhelming performance against Hong Kong. He threatened Hong Kong’s defense by deploying passes through his signature build-up play. In the end, he secured a 3-1 victory over Hong Kong.
However, UAE had to settle for a draw in the second match due to variables. UAE scored the first goal in the 23rd minute when Saleh’s cross from the right side was finished with Adil’s head at the gate. However, bad news arrived. In the 34th minute, Al-Hamadi grabbed his jersey while defending Daba inside the penalty box. The referee took out a direct red card from Al-Hamadi along with a penalty kick (PK).
However, the UAE overcame a crisis. Seyam stepped in as a kicker, but goalkeeper Aisa defended well and failed to concede a point. In the end, the UAE took a 1-0 lead in the first half. However, they couldn’t overcome their inferiority in number. Baader Naser Mohammad scored an own goal when he pushed a cross from Seyam onto his goalpost in the fifth minute of the second half. The score was tied 1-1.
However, another variable occurred at the end of the game. Bento, who had received one warning in the first half, was sent off for accumulated warnings in extra time in the second half. Eventually, Bento would not be able to lead the team in the third match against Iran.
“We are preparing for the game as usual. We are preparing for the next game against one of the strongest teams in Asia and the strongest team in our group,” Bento told a press conference ahead of the match against Iran.
“We have to make a very good game in many ways because the opponent is a team that is not easy to fight back. We have to be smart against Iran, and humbly accept that we have to control the game in a different way when we can’t control the game,” he added.
Even if the team loses on the day, chances are high that it will advance to the round of 16. If the team wins the round of 16 as the second-ranked team, it will face the second-ranked team in Group A (one of China, Tajikistan and Lebanon), and if it defeats Iran, it will meet the third-ranked team in Group A, B and F.