There are no easy teams, reckons Al Junaibi

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There are no easy teams, reckons Al Junaibi
A 24-man UAE squad are currently in the midst of a camp in Salzburg, Austria, the first under new coach Bert van Marwijk. - Supplied photo

Dubai - The draw for the second round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2022 Fifa World Cup and the 2023 AFC Asian Cup was held on Wednesday and the UAE were drawn in Group G

By James Jose

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Published: Wed 17 Jul 2019, 9:32 PM

Last updated: Wed 17 Jul 2019, 11:40 PM

UAE Football Association Vice President Abdullah Naser Al Junaibi said that it was a good draw but added that with teams evolving, there are no easy teams in modern day football.
The draw for the second round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2022 Fifa World Cup and the 2023 AFC Asian Cup was held at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Wednesday and the UAE were drawn in Group G.
The Whites, who made their only appearance at a World Cup in Italy in 1990, were pooled with Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.
And their road to the next World Cup and the AFC Asian Cup begins with their opening fixture against Malaysia in September.
"It looks good," Abdullah Naser Al Junaibi, who is also the Chairman of the Pro League Committee (PLC), told the Khaleej Times on Wednesday.
"But nowadays, there are no easy games or no easy teams. All the teams are strong. For example, Thailand are one of the most improved and most developed teams in Asia. What we should focus on is ourselves," he added.
A 24-man UAE squad are currently in the midst of a camp in Salzburg, Austria, the first under new coach, former Saudi Arabia and Australia manager Bert van Marwijk. The camp runs until July 22.
"The camp is going well. It is the first meeting with the new coach so this camp is more of an introduction with the focus being on fitness. The next camp will be more technical and will involve tactics and game plans," Al Junaibi said.
The second camp will take place from August 24 to September 10.
Bert van Marwijk had called up Omar Abdulrahman but the gifted playmaker has been absent from the ongoing camp. And Al Junaibi shed light on his absence. "We are following up with our medical team and his doctor on a regular basis. He will most likely return to training in September," revealed Al Junaibi.
Omar Abdulrahman has been on the sidelines since last October following a crucial ligament injury, which required surgery.
The UAE, who are among the 34 teams to have received a bye into the second round of the Asia Zone World Cup qualification, will begin their campaign with an away game against Malaysia on September 10 with their second fixture to be played at home against Indonesia on October 10.
They then have a quick turnaround where they will travel to Bangkok to face Thailand on October 15. The UAE then play Vietnam on November 14.
They then play the return leg against Malaysia at home on March 26 before making the trip to Jakarta to take on Indonesia on March 31.
The UAE's final two fixtures of the second round are at home to Thailand and Vietnam on June 4 and June 9 respectively.
The second round of qualifiers also serves as the second round of qualification for the AFC Asian Cup to be held in China in 2023. The qualifiers run until June 9, 2020.
Meanwhile, the World Cup qualification runs until March 2022.
The UAE had lost in the semifinal in the AFC Asian Cup held on home soil, earlier this year. The Whites had missed on qualification for the World Cup in Russia after finishing fourth behind Japan, Saudi Arabia and Australia.
james@khaleejtimes.com
 

UAE coach ready for Vietnam, Thailand

James Jose
DUBAI - UAE coach Bert van Marwijk echoed UAE Football Association Vice President Abdullah Naser Al Junaibi by saying there are no teams that can be called minnows anymore but backed his men to come through these tests.
The UAE were drawn in Group G alongwith Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia for the second round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2022 Fifa World Cup and the 2023 AFC Asian Cup on Wednesday.
And the Dutchman, who guided The Netherlands to the final of the World Cup in 2010, viewed Vietnam and Thailand as tough opponents.
"Vietnam are a strong team who play offensive football. They showed very good levels during the Asia Cup and left a wonderful impression on fans," said Bert van Marwijk.
"Thailand too are one of the strongest teams in Asia but we know their strengths and weaknesses as we faced them in the qualifiers last time," he added.
Vietnam reached the quarterfinals of the AFC Asian Cup in the UAE earlier this year, while Thailand made it to the round of 16.
Van Marwijk, who formerly coached Saudi Arabia and Australia, had full confidence in his players. "At the moment, we are preparing the team in Austria and we must do everything we can to achieve success. I have confidence in the team's ability to achieve the desired success in the qualifiers," the 67-year-old said.
james@khaleejtimes.com
 
 

AT A GLANCE...

* 34 teams to have received a bye into the second round of the Asia Zone World Cup qualification 
* Six teams have progressed from the preliminary round.
* Forty teams were drawn in eight groups of five with the group winners and the four best runners-up progressing to the AFC Asian Cup. They will also seal their berths for the third and final round of qualification for the World Cup.
* Those 12 teams will then be divided into two groups of six and they will fight for the four berths and one play-off spot allocated for Asia at the 2022 World Cup.
* In the case of Qatar, who are the World Cup hosts, top their group, the seven other group winners and the five best second-placed teams will make it to the final round of qualifying for the World Cup.
* The next best 24 teams from the second round of the joint qualifiers will compete in a separate competition for the remaining 12 slots in the 24-team AFC Asian Cup. 
 


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