Former international player and technical analyst Ali Musri Al-Zahiri stated that one of the main gains for the national team at the 2025 Arab Cup, which recently concluded in Doha, was a significant development in the team's technical performance in both defensive and offensive aspects. He hopes to maintain these technical gains by playing friendly matches against high-ranking teams. Al-Zahiri also expressed a desire to include five players in the national team: Al-Bataha striker Farlo de Oliveira, Ajman player Leandro Silva, Bani Yas player McKenzie Hunt, Al-Nasr player Zayed Al-Zaabi, and Al-Jazira player Muhammad Rabie.
In an interview with "Al-Ittihad," Ali Musri noted that the team's technical gains were evident in player Sasha's role as a main defender, who created a significant balance in the defensive line. This addressed issues with high balls, individual duels, and ball progression. He also highlighted the consistent technical level of Ruben and Pimenta throughout the tournament.
According to a decision by FIFA, the national team finished third in the Arab Cup, sharing the position with the Saudi team after the referee canceled the match due to weather conditions. The score at halftime of the canceled match was a goalless draw.
The sports community is awaiting a meeting between the football federation and the national team's coaching and administrative staff to evaluate the team's future direction, especially following their failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, despite having multiple opportunities to achieve this dream.
He added: "Regarding the midfield, the presence of Essa Fayez solved the problem that Cosmin's team faced, which was building attacks and recovering the ball. Essa's performance convinced Cosmin of his right to be a starter. On the attacking front, Bruno Oliveira and Yahya Al-Gasani are also considered among the most significant gains of the tournament due to their distinguished technical performance, despite not being regular starters for their clubs, they shone as stars and assets for the national team."
Al-Zahiri also pointed out an improvement in the team's physical and tactical levels, especially against Jordan, Egypt, Algeria, and even Morocco. This was evident in their duels, ball recovery, speed, proper positioning, and mental strength when they managed to turn around matches after being behind against Jordan and Algeria.
