The UAE national football team began its Arabian Gulf Cup 2026 campaign in style on Thursday, September 24, thrashing Yemen 4-0 at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah. It was the first competitive fixture in charge for new head coach Zlatko Dalic, the Croatian tactician who previously led Croatia to a World Cup final.
Forward Nicolas Gimenez scored twice, netting in the 25th minute and again just before half-time, to headline the rout. An own goal from Yemen defender Nader Sahal in the 35th minute and a fourth strike from Luan Pereira right at the end of the first half rounded out the scoreline before the break.
Dalic made a bold selection call, starting only five players who had featured in December 2025's Arab Cup squad, while handing debuts to Yuri Cesar and Mamadou Coulibaly. The match also marked the Emirates' return to competitive action after a nine-month absence from official fixtures.
The win puts the UAE top of Group B in the tournament, with tougher tests ahead against Bahrain on September 28 and Qatar on October 1. A strong start under Dalic has raised hopes among fans that the team can push for a third Arabian Gulf Cup title, a competition the UAE has long treated as a measure of its standing among Gulf football nations. The nine-month gap between competitive matches had raised questions about squad sharpness, questions this opening performance appears to have answered emphatically as the team heads into its next two group-stage tests.