• Home
• /
• Sports
• /
• Football

UAE outclass Turkmenistan ahead of qualifiers

Abu Dhabi - The UAE prepped up for their World Cup qualifiers double-header by cruising to a dominant victory over Turkmenistan in an international football friendly.

Al Jazira frontman Ali Ahmed Mabkhout, playing in his backyard fired a brilliant hat-trick, while Mohammed Abdulrahman and Amer Omar got on the scoresheet as Mahdi Ali's men warmed up for Timor-Leste and Malaysia with a 5-1 win at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on Thursday night.
The Whites are ranked 54 places above Turkmenistan at 67 in the FIFA World Rankings and the difference and superiority showed as the UAE ran roughshod against Central Asian country.
Talisman Omar Abdulrahman didn't feature in the game and so did Al Ahli's Ahmed Khalil, Ismail Al Hammadi, Habib Fardan, Majed Hassan, Abdulaziz Haikal and Ahmed Mahmoud, who are busy preparing for the AFC Champions League final first leg against last year's runners-up China's Guangzhou Evergrande.
Even then, the UAE packed enough of a punch against Turkmenistan. The visitors started brightly but the UAE were just about simmering before turning on the heat.
Mohammed Abdulrahman and Ali Mabkhout worked in tandem with a nice flowing one-two inside the box but the Turkmenistan defence did well to hold on.
Later, Amer Omar came up with an effort from the tip of the box but the Al Wahda man saw his shot deflected away for a corner.
Amer Omar later fed club mate Mohamed Alakberi with an aerial pass from the right but the latter's header from close range was collected safely by goalkeeper Mammet Orazmuhammedov.
The UAE kept probing but Turkmenistan did well not to crumble under the onslaught.
Mohammed Abdulrahman came up with a teasing pass from the left but just a touch ahead of Ali Mabkhout, who slid in vain.
But the Whites were no to be denied any longer and then went ahead on the half hour through Mohammed Abdulrahman. Bani Yas ace Amer Abdulrahman passed to Mabkhout, who fired in a defence-splitting cross to an unmarked Mohammed Abdulrahman on the left. And the Al Ain playmaker sent a screamer into the far corner of the net.
And they were up by two, two minutes later as Amer Omar brilliantly nut-megged goalkeeper Orazmuhammedov.
Turkmenistan pulled one back after the break through Suleyman Muhadov on 57 minutes but the UAE nudged farther again through Mabkhout on 63 minutes. The AFC Asian Cup Golden Boot winner then added his second and third on 75 and 80 minutes respectively as the UAE completed the rout.
The UAE host Timor-Leste at home on November 12 before travelling to Kuala Lumpur to face Malaysia, five days later.
james@khaleejtimes.com

nation