It bears the name 'Dubai' in Arabic and dates back to the 1960s
uae5 hours ago
Shabab Al Ahli striker Ahmed Khalil and Sharjah shot stopper Adel Al Hosani have been omitted from the UAE squad that departed for Kuala Lumpur in the early hours of Wednesday.
UAE coach Bert van Marwijk named a 26-man squad for their opening Group G fixture against Malaysia in the Asia Zone 2022 World Cup qualifiers, which also acts as qualification for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.
The pair were part of the squad that took part in a camp in Bahrain from August 25 to September 1 and had also featured in the camp in Salzburg, Austria, in July, the Dutchman's first at the helm.
The rest of the squad remains unchanged. Omar Abdulrahman has been named in the squad and could quite possibly feature against Malaysia for the first time since last October.
The playmaker's last match in UAE colours was against Venezuela in an international friendly on October 16, 2018. He had been laid low by a tear to the ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) to his right knee and underwent surgery. He has since recovered and had taken part in training for his new club Al Jazira, ahead of the Arabian Gulf Cup.
Team manager Ismail Rashid revealed that Omar could figure against Malaysia.
"Omar Abdulrahman's participation was one of the most important gains during the camp. The staff reassured his readiness and his ability to participate in the qualifiers," team manager Ismail Rashid said.
Marwijk had twin friendlies against the Dominican Republic and Sri Lanka during the camp in Bahrain, to work on his tactics and formation.
The Whites face off against Malaysia at the Bukit Jalil Stadium in Kuala Lumpur next Tuesday.
Meanwhile, shot stopper Khalid Eisa said that the squad benefited a lot from the camp and added that they will spare no effort in giving a good advertisement of UAE football.
"It was a good camp and with a great atmosphere," said Eisa.
"The coaching staff created a great environment and helped the players prepare well for the qualifiers. Everyone worked really hard and we are now looking forward to doing really well against Malaysia," he added.
Eisa pointed out that more needs to be done as it is a long road ahead to qualification.
"The next stage requires more work and we have to continue preparations so that the UAE are at the level that the fans are hoping us to be. We are determined to improve and represent our country in the best possible way, which reflects the image of UAE football.
Eisa also said the addition of some new young players will further aid the UAE's cause. "It is good to see young players coming through. They will be a valuable addition to the National team. The senior players are here to help them," the Al Ain goalkeeper said.
SQUAD:
Ali Khaseif, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdulrahman, Mohammed Al Attas, Zayed Al Ameri (Al Jazira), Khalid Eisa, Mohammed Shaker, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Mohammed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammed Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Al Hassan Saleh, Majed Suroor (Sharjah), Walid Abbas, Ismail Al Hammadi (Shabab Al Ahli), Habib Al Fardan, Tariq Ahmed, Jassim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmin (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Mahrami (Bani Yas).
james@khaleejtimes.com
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