Al Serkal backs coach Mahdi Ali and his staff

Dubai - UAE are in tough group for 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifiers

Yousuf Yaqoob Al Serkal, president of the UAEFA, reiterated his backing towards head coach Mahdi Ali and his assistants as The Whites prepare for the 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifiers, according to UAEFA website.
The UAE are placed in a tough Group B of the last qualifying round of the 2018 World Cup in Russia along with Asian Cup champions Australia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Thailand at a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur. "Our confidence has never shaken in the head coach or the players and other staff. The UAEFA has always backed the head coach and his assistants and revamped all its resources to provide them with all requirements. The preparation period is key for the qualification for the finals and for this reason we never talk about the drawbacks of the previous period because each stage is governed by different conditions and circumstances and they never repeat," he said.
"The national team has covered a long distance in the qualifiers campaign and we are standing on the threshold of the final stage. We need to focus on the actual needs for the squad in collaboration with the clubs to provide the ideal atmosphere for its success.
"The preparations will never be on the account of the interests of the clubs, because it is something positive. The players are representing the nation and the programme will focus on the matches of the national team on the basis of the vision of the head coach," he said.
"The success of the national team requires more effort on and off the pitch and we will work on this by supporting The Whites in their national mission," he said.
Speaking about the Fifa ranking on which the draw was based, Al Serkal said all what matters for us is to focus on the fine-tuning of the squad. The Fifa ranking is based on different standards and conditions and do not mean much for us," he said. "We believe that the strong group is where the UAE was drawn whether in A or B and all the 12 sides have equal chances because they are the best teams in the continent."