MELBOURNE: Saudi Arabia's caretaker coach Cosmin Olaroiu Saturday said he's spending as much time acting as a psychiatrist to his players as imparting tactical wisdom at the Asian Cup.
The Romanian said strengthening the mentality of the Saudi players was one of his biggest challenges as the three-time champions look to secure a spot in the quarter-finals.
"Improving the psychology of the players is a very important part of my job," he told reporters on the eve of their crunch Group B clash with Uzbekistan.
"You need to build the confidence of the players. Attitude if the most important thing in football."
Saudi Arabia won the last of their three Asian Cup titles in 1996 and were runners-up for a third time in 2007 when they were stunned by Iraq in the final, but have slipped behind the region's powerhouses Japan, South Korea, Iran and Australia in recent years.
"There is more to football than what happens on the pitch," added Olaroiu, manager of Dubai-based Al Ahli and coaching the Saudi national team part-time until the end of the Asian Cup. "To be a coach you have to be working in many directions."
Saudi Arabia recovered from a shock 1-0 defeat by China in their opening game by overpowering North Korea 4-1 in midweek, effectively making Sunday's Melbourne clash against the Uzbekis a knockout game with the Chinese already through.
Naif Hazazi and Nawaf Alabid have both fluffed penalties, raising questions as to the mental strength of the Saudis.
Such is the significance of their game against Uzbekistan that each Saudi player is reportedly set to pocket a bonus of around $12,000. But Olaroiu insisted it was glory, and not cash, that motivated his team.
"Nobody is thinking about money," he snapped. "We don't play for a bonus. That's not an incentive. We play to simply bring happiness to the people of Saudi Arabia. That is the best bonus for us. We have a responsibility to win and that would be of more value."
Uzbekistan reached the semi-finals in 2011 but need a drastic reversal in fortune following a stunning 2-1 defeat by China.
"I don't think we underestimated China," said Uzbekistan coach Mirdjalal Kasimov. "We just made silly mistakes and we paid for them."
Asked by AFP if he would step down if Uzbekistan failed to advance, the former midfielder replied: "We came to this tournament in high spirits and with big expectations and carry them into tomorrow's game. If we fail, there will be time to consider my future."
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