Greek coach Georgios Donis, head of the Saudi Arabia national team, believes that Qatar's defensive style prevented his team from securing victory in both regular and extra time during the Gulf Cup "Khaleeji 27" semifinal match.
The Saudi Arabia national team defeated Qatar on penalty kicks after the match ended in a goalless draw.
Donis said in comments reported by the Saudi sports newspaper Arriyadh: "I congratulate the players on their high performance. There is unity and ferocity among them, and they are giving their best."
He added, "It was a difficult match against the Qatari team, which possesses experience and defends exceptionally well, making things complicated for us. Nevertheless, we created some scoring opportunities, but we failed to capitalize on them, which is normal in football."
He continued, "The tournament is short, fatigue is impactful, and I believe we deserved the win after our distinguished performance."
He pointed out a positive aspect: "The best thing about us so far is that we have played five matches without conceding any goals. This is due to the players' performance, skills, and capabilities on the pitch, but we made a mistake by allowing the opponent to create chances against us."
He further stated, "Step by step, we will build our own identity, and we must play with it; we are working on this."
He went on, "There were some issues due to player fatigue, but I am happy with what happened. The players will deliver a distinguished final, which is what we expect from them."
He revealed his messages to the players: "After the end of the match, I spoke with the players about the necessity of thanking the fans and congratulating them for their support and impact on us throughout the game, not only during the penalty shootout. I also had words with them before the match, urging them to fight on the pitch and assuring them of our ability to achieve victory, as well as before the start of the penalty shootout."
The Saudi national team will face its UAE counterpart in the final next Tuesday.
