The national team striker Ayman Hussein confirmed today, Wednesday, that the draw against the Omani team at the start of Iraq's journey in the 27th Gulf Cup is a good beginning, especially since the match was against a strong team. He pointed out that the national team will strive to compensate and collect the three points against Kuwait.
Hussein stated after the draw with Oman, which ended in a one-all tie: "The Omani team is a respectable and strong team, and they managed to take advantage of the opportunities that came their way," noting that "the national team had a good match and could have scored more than one goal, but luck was not on the players' side with several chances."
He added that "the high humidity affected the players’ performance, especially since a large number of them are not used to these conditions," mentioning that "the team faced forced injuries and muscle strains during halftime and in the first ten minutes of the second half, which led to an early depletion of substitutions and affected the coaching staff's options."
He continued, "These circumstances are not an excuse, as the team missed many opportunities that could have been capitalized on to decide the match," pointing out that "about 50 percent of the players are new to the team."
Hussein emphasized that "gaining a point at the beginning of the journey is better than losing," expressing hope that "the national team can compensate and collect the three points in their next match against the Kuwaiti team."
For his part, national team player Ibrahim Bayesh said: "The team had a good first half; beginnings are always tough, especially since the team includes young players and a new combination," confirming that "the team will work to compensate against Kuwait."
Bayesh added that "the team wasted many opportunities and could have been ahead by two or three goals, but missing opportunities can give the opponent a chance to score, and the Omani goal came out of nowhere."
He pointed out that "the humidity affected both teams somewhat, and the draw is a good point against a strong team like Oman," affirming that "the start is good, and we seek to achieve the three points against Kuwait."