Mauritania coach: ‘We respect Kuwait, but we have a huge opportunity’

Mauritania coach Áritz López expressed respect ahead of his team’s crucial playoff match against Kuwait, indicating that the squad enters the encounter with ambition to secure a spot in the Arab Cup in Qatar.

Mauritania and Kuwait will face off on Tuesday, with the winner advancing to Group C, which features Egypt, the UAE, and Jordan.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, López said:

“We expect a difficult match against a strong opponent. We have great respect for Kuwait and we are aware of their capabilities, but we have a huge opportunity tomorrow and we must make the most of it.”

He added:

“Our goal is to reach the Arab Cup and make a strong appearance. We have been preparing for this match for a long time, and the players have shown excellent levels recently, whether in Tunisia or in our other training camps.”

The Spanish coach emphasized:

“The most important thing is to play with calmness and understand exactly what we want from the match. Our focus is on executing the game plan and dealing with key moments. This match means a lot to the Mauritanian fans.”

Meanwhile, Mauritania midfielder Bouna Ammar praised the welcome his team received upon arriving in Qatar:

“We thank Qatar for the wonderful reception. The atmosphere has been very motivating since we arrived. We are fully ready for the match.”

Ammar continued:

“We watched Kuwait’s recent matches and we know their strengths well. We will give everything to win and qualify. This tournament is very important for us as players and for the national team.”

He concluded:

“We trust ourselves and we know the opportunity is big to appear in the Arab Cup. We will fight to achieve that.”

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