Zlatko Dalic Begins UAE Tenure with Resounding 4-0 Victory Over Yemen in Arabian Gulf Cup Opener

The UAE delivered a commanding performance under new coach Zlatko Dalic, securing a comfortable 4-0 victory against Yemen in Jeddah to launch their Arabian Gulf Cup campaign.

Nicolas Gimenez led the charge with an impressive two-goal display, helping the national team start their quest for a third Gulf Cup title with immense confidence. This fixture marked the UAE's first competitive match since the conclusion of the previous year, where they claimed the bronze medal at the Arab Cup in Doha following an abandoned third-place play-off against Saudi Arabia due to severe weather.

Following Cosmin Olaroiu's departure from the coaching role after a quiet interim period, Zlatko Dalic stepped into the position after concluding his duties with Croatia during their World Cup campaign in North America. Known previously for his successful stint with Al Ain, Zlatko Dalic immediately integrated fresh faces into the squad, handing debuts to Yuri Cesar and Mamadou Coulibaly in the starting XI alongside only five players who had started the abandoned match against Saudi Arabia in December.

Despite being heavily outnumbered by vocal Yemen supporters in the stands, the UAE eventually settled into the match. The breakthrough came in the 25th minute when Yuri Cesar and Bruno de Oliveira combined before setting up Nicolas Gimenez, who cut inside a defender to finish brilliantly off the crossbar.

The UAE doubled their lead ten minutes later when right back Marcos Meloni delivered a cross that was deflected into the net by Yemen defender Nader Sahal. Luan Pereira then added a third goal just before halftime.

The second half maintained the same momentum, with Nicolas Gimenez heading in another cross from Marcos Meloni to cap off the scoring at 4-0. With the match firmly in hand, Zlatko Dalic utilized his substitutes to preserve energy ahead of upcoming fixtures against Bahrain on Sunday and Qatar on Wednesday.