Greek coach Georgios Donis, head of the Saudi national team, stated that his confidence level has increased following the performance delivered by his players against Iraq in the Gulf Cup 27.
The Saudi national team secured its qualification with a perfect record after winning 2-0 against Iraq in the second round, while the battle for the second-place spot was narrowed down to Iraq and Oman, before Oman qualified via a draw.
Donis said in comments published by the Saudi sports newspaper Ar-Riyadiya: "I am happy with the spirit shown by the players throughout the 90 minutes; they gave me confidence. We did not have significant control over the match, but we created dangerous chances to achieve the result."
He added, "I congratulate the players on this spirit as well as all fans of Al-Akhdar (the Green Team). The players had to play like lions to please these fans, and that is what happened."
Regarding the injury to left-back Zakaria Hawsawi, he commented: "It has become difficult to finish any match without suffering an injury. Against Iraq, we lost Zakaria, and we will see what the medical tests determine. We also have some other injuries. I would like all players to be present and not lose any player."
He continued, "The players sent their message to the public through this performance on the pitch. We have an organized team, and there must be trust from the fans in the players, and they must maintain this trust."
Concerning playing in a 4-4-2 formation, he clarified: "I prefer having a strong player in the number 10 position, but Saleh Abu Al-Shamat needed rest, and Mohammed Al-Qahtani just returned from illness, so we decided to play in a 4-4-2 formation relying on two strikers."
He added, "We do not focus only on the attacking shape, but also on defense. At times we face problems, and every tactical plan depends on the available squad."
The Saudi national team entered the match already having secured top place by winning against Iraq.
