Saudi Arabia coach Georgios Donis says preparations for the Oman clash are going smoothly, stressing the need to treat every game on its own terms and to keep developing his side rather than dwelling on past results or fixtures.
The Green Falcons ground out a 1-0 win over Kuwait on Wednesday in the opening round of Group One at the Arabian Gulf Cup "Gulf 27". Now they want to make it two from two when they meet Oman on Saturday in the second round.
Speaking at Friday's press conference, as reported by the "Asharq Al-Awsat" newspaper, Donis said: "We analyse each match individually, our preparations for the match are good, and we are working on recovery after the first match. We will face a strong and skilful team, and we must focus on the upcoming match."
Al-Owais in the starting line-up
Nawaf Al-Aqidi's injury against Kuwait has forced a change between the posts. "Al-Aqidi's injury is difficult, and he has been ruled out, and Mohammed Al-Qahtani is ill and did not train yesterday or today," Donis explained.
That leaves goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais as the coach's only option against Oman, the last man standing among the three keepers on the list.
How did Donis deal with the missed chances?
Wasted chances have been a talking point. "We worked on counter-pressing in special training sessions, and I am happy with the players and how they work," Donis said. "With training and confidence, the players will have the ability to give their best in the matches."
Plenty of positives came out of the Kuwait display, the coach insisted, saying: "We saw the positive things. After 20 minutes in the match against Kuwait we completely controlled the game, and in 100 minutes the Kuwait team created one chance."
He added: "Football is not only in attack, and the players are working seriously, and step by step, with confidence, movement and training, things are going well."
What did Donis notice about the Oman team?
Asked for his standout observations about Oman from the first round, he said: "What I noticed is that Oman play with two forwards and have high quality. We analysed the team, and we will make some changes based on the opponent. It is important to apply what we want defensively and offensively."
"We must continue working and have this wonderful atmosphere among the players," he continued. "Confidence is the most important thing, and I know what is happening among the players and I know the beautiful atmosphere between them, and this is important for us."
"It is important to see that in training and at the hotel, and we must deliver the best performance to show that we can secure a win tomorrow and in the final match," he added.
Why does he insist on fielding Al-Hamdan?
Donis also hit back at criticism of his decision to use Abdullah Al-Hamdan as a main striker, when many feel the player performs better in a role behind the forwards, along with the scrutiny of his finishing.
"I do not like to talk about a player in particular," he said. "Everything is difficult in this situation, and I do not like to give the responsibility to only one player, that is wrong."
He added: "What happened with Al-Hamdan (in terms of media criticism) was wrong, and we must give full support to the players. He has positive things, and he must be supported. He started well as a scorer, and his performance at the clubs was good, and now we must follow his development at this level and in this tournament."
"Every attacking player has skills," he continued. "We have Abdullah Al-Salem and Al-Brikan, and it is important for every player to create chances, especially those in the attacking area. We want to focus in front of goal, and it is important to give them information and develop them."
"We are talking about a human being, and this happens with people," he explained. "We want to give them enough time to develop in this area and to work with them. Football develops, and I have to accept this fact. We have this group, and we must work with it in the best possible way."
Donis refused to make Al-Hamdan's situation personal, saying: "Matters with players must not be taken from a personal angle. This season Abdullah Al-Hamdan is the best striker, and he did not continue as a starter because Cristiano Ronaldo returned (to the ranks of Al-Nassr). He was creating and scoring, and we must support the players and the entire group."
Donis raises the banner of victory
The coach closed by nailing his colours to the mast ahead of Oman. "We will work on everything for the sake of victory," he said. "We will work aggressively in the clash with Oman, and we must win to qualify, while respecting the opponent in order to obtain a positive result."