Riyadh: Kuwait coach Jorvan Vieira said he would never be so presumptuous as to start naming his preferred semi-final opponent before even playing the last group game.
It’s the Brazilian’s latest pop at UAE coach Mahdi Ali — who identified topping the group in order to avoid hosts Saudi Arabia as a priority.
Their rift started when Ali was misquoted in the Arabic press as saying “Vieira knows nothing”, when really Ali had just said his experience would neutralise the Brazilian’s, prompting Vieira to defend his past.
Kuwait lead the group on four points after beating Iraq 1-0 and drawing 2-2 with the UAE. They will qualify with just a draw over Oman in their last group game on Thursday, but Vieira is refusing to get complacent.
“All teams have a chance to qualify and even on four points leading the group, there is no guarantee,” he said. “We are never playing to draw, always to win, if we play to draw it could leave us in a dangerous situation.”
When asked to assess a more preferable semi-final opponent, he replied: “How can I discuss my preference if I’m still playing for qualification? It’s very precocious because I haven’t even done anything yet; first I must play to win my game against Oman to qualify and then okay, I can talk about the semi-final.
“I am professional, I can’t have a preference to play A, B or C, I have to prepare my team mentally, physically and tactically, to be ready for any opponent. I never have a preference, I’m ready anytime, and I wait for anyone.”
Oman coach Paul Le Guen, meanwhile, said if his team could continue their form from opening draws against UAE 0-0 and Iraq 1-1 a vital three points could come their way.
“We’ve had chances and have played with high intensity and rhythm. If we keep playing the same way, we will be rewarded.
“Since I’ve arrived, I’ve tried to refresh the team and develop a certain style of play, we are playing the right way to be rewarded but I know results are not a matter of what we want or what we deserve, it’s a matter of scoring. I know that, I have been in football long enough.”
Oman could still qualify with a win over Kuwait if the UAE draw or lose to Iraq. “I think Kuwait are a clever team with a good coach and they have a great state of mind,” said Le Guen of his opponents. “I respect them a lot, but I want to beat them,” he added.
