Omar Al -Balushi
– Al-Dhafra achieved its goal, which is to rise to the UAE professional league- a league building a clear training methodology and ensuring team and individual development- I am proud to be part of the first team for Bahrain to achieve a Gulf title- the goals of the honor of Bahrain abroad .. And I sacrificed my work for training- I have given the comprehensive football book that embodies my artistic vision of the game- I enjoy my current experience in my second UAE
The national coach, Ahmed Boukamal, scored his name in letters of gold in the records of Bahraini coaches, after he succeeded in achieving the UAE first-class football league title with his club Al Dhafra during the last sports season competitions 2024-2025, in his first professional season outside the Kingdom, as the first team assistant.
Boukam put his full technical effort during this professional experience, which resulted in achieving the main goal, which is the crowning of the title of the first division and the rise to the UAE Professional League, where the national coach had a prominent role in supporting the technical staff led by the Croatian coach Allen Horva.
In the first lengthy interview after achieving this important achievement in his training career, Boukamal reviewed the “Al -Watan” details of the first achievement, and his goals and aspirations that he put in front of his eye in order to achieve his dream of assuming the position of coach.
Tell us about your first professional experience and how it was with the Emirati club Al Dhafra?
– In fact, it was a very distinctive experience and a real challenge, as I joined a team that was ranked eighth in the previous season, and lost the opportunity to rise greatly, and his goal was clear, which is to return to the podium of coronation and ascending to the Professional League, and this was achieved thanks to God Almighty, and then teamwork and joining all, and Al Dhafra succeeded in achieving his dream of returning to the ranks of the Professional League as the first division.
I would like to pay tribute to the work of the Al -Dhafra Sports Club, which humiliated all the difficulties in front of us in order to facilitate the work of the technical staff and the players to achieve the rise and return to the professional league.
In your first season with Al Dhafra, what is your role and your work tasks with the technical staff of the first team?
– My role was as a coach assistant to lead the technical side by building a clear training methodology that relies on a specific gameplay, and a weekly review of performance to ensure collective and individual development.
It also worked on analyzing the competing teams, setting their strengths and weaknesses, with one goal, which is to win, and praise be to God, the players succeeded in implementing the directives of the technical staff as required, and achieved the main goal, which is the coronation and the rise to the professional league.
Did you expect to win the UAE first division title with Al -Zafar Club in your first professional season outside Bahrain?
– Yes, clearly, I do not work except for the championships, and the crowning of titles is my constant goal, and thank God most of the opportunities that I have found in it I found competition, and I came out of it with a title, and this is all success from God Almighty.
I will not stop there only, but I will work hard to develop from my work and serve any club or team that I work with, in order to reflect a honorable and positive image of my country in Bahrain.
I said that your goal is to honor Bahrain abroad, so do you see that national coaches are underestimated compared to foreigners?
– Foreigners have experiences and deserve what they receive, but in return we have competent national trainers, tired of themselves, developed their capabilities and achieved local and external achievements. I see that it is important to believe in them and give them what they really deserve.
Do you see yourself able to be Ahmed Boukamal as the head of the national team? Or for one of the teams inside or outside Bahrain?
– Yes, of course, this is my first goal, and the honor of my country in this position is a great honor and responsibility.
In fact, I believe in my capabilities, and if I have the opportunity, I will not be less keen than anyone to see the team in the first places.
As for club training, it is also my goals, but not just for attendance, but for competition and achieving championships, and leadership alone is not enough, achievements are the most important.
Let’s get away from talking about your successful season with the Emirati club Al Dhafra, introduce us to yourself more and how did you start the training profession?
– I am an ambitious football coach, I am steadily moved forward, and I got several titles as a coach assistant, the most prominent of which is the first title achieved by the Kingdom of Bahrain in the competitions of the Arab Gulf Football Cup in 2019, after nearly half a century of the start of the tournament, and this is considered a great pride for me, especially since I was part of this historic national achievement.
In addition to achieving the West Asian Championship title in Iraq during 2019, the most recent of which is the UAE first division with Al Dhafra Club, and we managed to raise the team from the first -class to the Professional League within one year, and we crowned the league title.
I am also author of the comprehensive football book, which embodies my artistic vision of the game.
In fact, I did not start directly in the field of training, but I worked for many years in a bank, and the decision to leave the job was a difficult step, and I faced many criticisms who considered that training was a “profession without a future”, but I believed in my passion, and I sacrificed for the sake of my dream, and today I live this dream.
What are your scientific and training qualifications?
– I hold a master’s degree in high -performance football training from Lisbon University in Portugal, as well as a professional training license from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC Pro License).
Do we see you in our stadiums and our role soon?
Currently, I enjoy my experience in my second country, the Emirates, but I am always open to all opportunities and possibilities.
If the offer is appropriate, and the project carries ambitious goals and real internal and external achievements, then there is never an objection to returning to the Kingdom to work with one of its national clubs.
