UAE Triumphs 3-1 Over Kuwait to Lock Arab Cup Quarterfinal Spot

Match overview and qualification

Romanian coach Cosmin Olaroiu, head coach of the United Arab Emirates, said his side delivered the required result by defeating Kuwait 3-1, sealing the second qualification spot in Group C for the Arab Cup quarterfinals.

The Jordan national team topped Group C with a 3-0 win over Egypt to finish with nine points.

In the post-match press conference, Olaroiu said: "We achieved what we planned and now look to the next step in the quarterfinals, regardless of the opponent." He added that the start was strong, with two early goals that gave them a comfortable first half.

Reactions and next steps

He continued: "We conceded from a set piece in the second half, but we still sealed the third goal and the win that mattered for qualification."

He also stated: "We close the Kuwait chapter and now focus on the quarterfinal, hoping to win and delight our fans after a period of tough luck in recent matches."

Meanwhile, Kuwait coach Helio Sousa said: "We began well but conceded two quick goals due to simple mistakes. We tried to rally in the second half and reduced the gap despite being reduced to ten men, but UAE scored the third."

He added that more work is needed to build a stronger national team for the future, and the UAE now turn their attention to the knockout stage, aiming to keep progressing through the Arab Cup.

Punchline: If precision were ammo, UAE just fired two headshots—talk about a double tap to the group stage. Punchline 2: Kuwait tried to come back, but the UAE simply kept the trigger discipline and filed the win under “quarterfinal ready.”