Gulf Cup 'start of a dream'

Abu Dhabi: Abdul Rahim Jumaa, the UAE midfielder and stand-in-captain, feels winning the Gulf Cup is not the end of a dream but the beginning of it.

"Winning the trophy after a long wait was marvellous, but it should motivate us to win more titles and improve our game. More so, after the keen interest that our leaders have shown towards us and the kind of unlimited support our team have received from the people," Jumaa told Gulf News.

"We are honoured to meet both President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

More titles

"We have promised them to win more titles and honours for the country at the regional, continental and other international events.

"I believe winning the trophy will help the players, especially the younger ones, gain more experience and build their self-confidence. I do believe that this victory will lead to improving the standards of local football competitions and draw more spectators to the stadium to watch and cheer their teams," Jumaa said.

"The Gulf Cup has proved that with right tactics, we can go further and achieve more wins. We are determined to win more titles because we are hungry for victory, following a decade of poor results," Jumaa commented.

Jumaa is expected to be the new captain of the UAE after Mohammad Omar announced his retirement, following the Gulf Cup win.

"I'm sure Omar still has a lot to offer and we will need him in the final of the Asian Cup in July. I do hope that he postpones his decision to quit. He helped us a lot in winning the Gulf Cup, playing the role of an on-field coach for us. Moreover, he is very experienced and is a good striker."