Ali Saleh: We will not underestimate any team

“Al-Abyad” asks Mauritania for the “Arab Cup quarter-final” card

Ali Mabkhout seeks to put his mark in the Arab Cup today.

AFP

The national football team will play at 8:00 pm today, UAE time, at the 974 stadium, in the Qatari capital, Doha, an important match against Mauritania in the second round of the second group stage in the Arab Cup, which will be held in Qatar with the participation of 16 Arab teams.

Al-Abyad seeks to achieve its second victory in a row, after defeating Syria in the first match with two goals against a goal scored by Caio Canedo and Ali Saleh.

The team is looking forward to winning the quarter-finals, and avoiding any surprises before meeting Tunisia at the end of the first round next Monday.

Al-Abyad enters the match in high spirits, and it is expected that the technical staff will have dealt with the mistakes and defensive gaps that accompanied the Syrian match during his last training, in addition to working to strengthen the offensive side.

The national team star, Ali Saleh, said in a press statement: Everyone understands the importance of the meeting, and we will not underestimate any team, regardless of its results, and Mauritania's loss against Tunisia will not deceive us.

He stressed that the fans' continued support of Al-Abyad and standing behind him, gives them an additional incentive to continue the path of victories.

The team hopes for a strong and honorable appearance through which it will gain the confidence of its fans, who are expected to go far in the Arab Cup, which will at the same time serve as a good preparation and preparation for the most important event, in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

It is expected that Al-Abyad will play the match with the same squad that he faced Syria with, with minor changes.

Mahmoud Khamis will be absent from his ranks after receiving a red card in the previous match, and is expected to be replaced by Mohamed Barghash.

Today's match will be the first in the history of the confrontations between the UAE and Mauritania, as they have never faced each other before in any tournament.

The team is ranked second with six points behind Tunisia, which leads the group on goal difference after its victory over Mauritania, while Syria is third and Mauritania is fourth without a score.

On the other hand, the Mauritanian team hopes to compensate for its huge loss with five from Tunisia, and seeks to achieve an honorable appearance, as well as avoid an early exit from the tournament.

Mauritania's national team is led by French coach Didier Darosa, who qualified for the Arab Cup after defeating Yemen 2-0 in the preliminary round.

• The match is the first in the history of the two teams in all competitions.

• Al-Abyad won its first match against Syria, and seeks to secure qualification, before facing the difficult Tunisia at the end of the first round.

Absences

Emirates: Mahmoud Khamis.

Mauritania: none.

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