Preview: United Arab Emirates vs Yemen - prediction, team news, lineups

The United Arab Emirates get their Gulf Cup campaign underway on Thursday, September 24, at the King Abdullah Sports City, when they square off against Yemen. 

Croatian tactician Zlatko Dalic hopped into the UAE hot seat just last month, taking over from Cosmin Olaroiu, which means this will be his first match in charge. 

Match preview

The tournament is being held in Saudi Arabia for the first time, which means it is neutral territory for both teams. 

The Whites will head into the fixture slightly more confident, despite having a new coach and new tactics to adapt to. 

Dalic's men have won the previous eight head-to-heads in a row, demonstrating their dominance over Yemen.

The last time the UAE lost to Yemen was back in 2004, meaning the signs are good for the Whites to grab three points. 

Group B is tight, with Qatar and Bahrain the other teams competing for the top two spots, but the Whites should be confident of securing a place in the semi-final, starting with a victory against Yemen. 

© Iconsport / Nikku / Avalon

The war-torn country have been under the guidance of Noureddine Ould Ali since 2024, and he is leading them into their third successive Gulf Cup appearance and 11th overall. 

Yemen will hope to improve on their previous showing at this competition, when they finished bottom of Group B. 

Having said that, the Happy Yemen reached a historic landmark by beating eventual champions Bahrain 2-1, their first win in their history at this competition, ending a 35-game winless streak. 

Ould Ali's men won back-to-back matches ahead of this, beating Lebanon and, more recently, Kuwait in a friendly to prepare for this tournament. 

The 145th-ranked nation will believe that they can cause an upset on the opening day and lay down a marker for the rest of the competition. 

UAE form (all competitions): 

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Yemen form (all competitions): 

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Team News

© Iconsport / Xinhua/Ding Ting

Dalic named a 26-man squad ahead of the tournament, after watching players in the UAE Pro League and AFC Champions League Elite. 

The Croatian included four debutants in his squad alongside a core of experienced players. 

Veteran goalkeeper Khalid Eisa was called up, and he is expected to grab the number one spot for this competition. 

The likes of Fabio Lima and Nicolas Gimenez are included in the midfield, while 22-year-old Sultan Adil is the squad's top goalscorer with eight goals from his 21 caps. 

For Yemen, Mohammed Aman is likely the man who features between the sticks, with defenders Hamza Al-Rimi and Haroon Al-Zubaidi the most experienced pair in front of him. 

Skipper Abdulwasea Al Matari will serve as a source of inspiration for Yemen, especially in the middle of the park. 

Alongside Nasser Al-Gahwashi, these two are the only players in Ould Ali's squad who have reached double figures in terms of goals scored for the Happy Yemen. 

Omar Al-Dahy is likely the forward who gets the nod to lead the line in this crucial first match in the Gulf Cup. 

United Arab Emirates possible starting lineup:

Eisa; Sultan, Ivkovic, Al Hammadi, Ibrahim; Hamad, Faiz; Lima, Abdalla, Gimenez; Adil

Yemen possible starting lineup:

Aman; Al-Wasmani, Al-Rimi, Al-Zubaidi, Al-Hubaishi; Al Maary, Abdulwasea Al Matari, Al-Gahwashi, Anbar; Mellor, Al-Dahy

We say: United Arab Emirates 2-1 Yemen

The UAE have been used to getting the better of Yemen and have a long history of overcoming them in their head-to-heads. 

Additionally, four of the last five meetings produced more than two goals, which is likely in this Gulf Cup opener.