Frank Rijkaard disappointed after defeat to Kuwait

Dutch coach of Saudi Arabia Frank Rijkaard said he was disappointed for his team’s 0-1 defeat to Kuwait in Group ‘B’ .
During a press conference held after the match, Rijkaard said: “It was important for us to win full points as matches like this it’s very important to score first, and unfortunately it was Kuwait who could score and the score remained in their favor till the end.”
“We didn’t perform well in the first half but we played better in the second. We had more than one opportunity after tactical changes and we took control of the ball but luck was not by our players side this time,” he added
Kuwait coach Goran was delighted with his team win over Saudi Arabia and qualify for the semifinals against the UAE and said: “Motivation was present within the players to qualify.”
“We faced a very tough team tonight, a team that has prominent players with skills and physical advantage, but we have won the game with the right tactics by relying on fast counter attacks,” said the Serbian coach.
He continued: “Our tactics in this game were different from the previous matches against Yemen and Iraq, because the Saudi team performance was different from the other two teams.”
“Our next match against the UAE will be even tougher for us as we face a young team with exceptional skills and talent players, but I have great faith in my players to pass this major hurdle and reach the final,” added Goran.
Yemen’s coach Tom Saintfiet continued to reject the continued inquiry on Yemen’s star striker Ala’a Al Sasi who stayed on the bench for the third successive game in the tournament.
The Belgian tactician was again criticized for keeping Al Sasi away from his starting lineup during Iraq’s match, which they lost 0-2 for their third defeat in a row.
“I do not know why we waste our time on a player who could score only once in the past four editions of the Gulf Cup. I do not ask for respect for myself, and I am proud of what our players have achieved, they have done everything in their power.”
Saintfiet deplored the performance of the referee, who committed two mistakes during the game, which contributed to Iraq’s both goals. He also noted that seven minutes should have been awarded injury time as six substitutions were made while several Iraqi players were injured.