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UAE football's new era: Zlatko Dalic, Ismail Matar and Brazil-born stars chase Gulf Cup glory

thenationalnews.com · 16h · first reportShare

With a new imported coach and a raft of potential debutants who learnt the game overseas, it might be assumed the latest fresh start for UAE football will be crafted by foreign expertise. And yet, when the national team begin the Zlatko Dalic era at the Arabian Gulf Cup in Saudi Arabia this week, their most valuable insider could be someone from much closer to home. The UAE play Yemen in Jeddah on Thursday evening. Their opening pool match in the eight-team Gulf Cup is also the first competitive outing under Dalic. Having arrived this summer following a sparkling spell with his native Croatia, optimism abounds that Dalic can work his magic with the UAE, too. One of the secrets of Dalic’s success as a coach has been the way he empowers his coaches and players. تصريحات مدرب منتخبنا الوطني زلاتكو داليتش واللاعب سلطان عادل قبل مواجهة اليمن في #خليجي_الديار_العربية 🇦🇪 #منتخب_الإمارات pic.twitter.com/fNR7Pdq240 — UAE NT منتخب الإمارات (@UAEFNT) September 23, 2026 The staff he has brought w