UAE ready for Iraq clash

UAE coach Srecko Katanec called for 120 per cent from his players as they look to pick up their first win of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar when they tackle defending champions Iraq on Saturday.

Katanec’s side played out a goalless draw in their Group D opener against DPR Korea on Tuesday with the former Slovenia boss left disappointed with his side profligacy in front of goal throughout that match.

A positive result against the Iraqis will be integral if they are to avoid the daunting prospect of needing to beat Iran in their final group game and Katanec wants his players to give their all to collect three points from the title holders.

“For me I just expect my players to give 120 per cent and look to keep our precision on the pitch because then we have the quality to win the game,” he said.

“We are ready now to play Iraq. We know their team and they know us. We have some good qualities. We are not only smaller but have more agility, so we will see.”

Though the UAE and Iraq have only met once before in the AFC Asian Cup, they are certainly no strangers to each other having been drawn in the same group at last year’s Gulf Cup of Nations.

That time the game ended in a goalless draw and Katanec is expecting another closely fought encounter between the two on Saturday.

“We are ready. I hope tomorrow we will play a good game and we want to win,” he added.

“We play against the Asian champions, so we play against a very good team. They have intelligent players and play well together.

“We watched them in their first game and we know them well as we have played them in the Gulf Cup.

“We cannot repeat our mistakes from the first games. Tomorrow is another game and we start from 0-0 and I just hope that we will go out and be aggressive and give our all.” The UAE have brought one of the youngest sides to the tournament with seven of their players coming from the under-23 side that won silver at last year’s Asian Games.

Their lack of experience perhaps showed against DPR Korea but captain Subait Khater is confident the talent of their young stars will come to the fore against Iraq. “We have a number of older heads who are playing with the younger ones and they will help them,” he said.

“Though they are young in age they are old as players.”

hisham@khaleejtimes.com