It’s been a long time since the UAE national football team reached the World Cup finals. Currently 74th in the Fifa rankings, the national side is trying to make it to Russia 2018, having last qualified for football’s biggest tournament in 1990.
While there has been a fair share of heartbreak over the years, this country’s football fans currently have much to be optimistic about, as our national side continues to show great promise under the tutelage of Mahdi Ali.
The UAE won their first match in the third round of qualification last Thursday against a strong Japanese side in Tokyo. That 2-1 win certainly adds extra significance to Tuesday’s contest with Australia in Abu Dhabi. Like Japan, the Socceroos are World Cup regulars, having appeared in the past three tournaments. The pair are the seasoned heavyweights in a very tough qualification group that also includes Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Thailand.
Our national side deserves your support at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on Tuesday night.
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
Squad: Majed Naser, Abdulaziz Sanqour, Walid Abbas, Khamis Esmail, Habib Fardan, Mohammed Marzouq (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai), Khalid Essa, Muhanad Salem, Mohammed Ahmed, Ismail Ahmed, Ahmed Barman, Amer Abdulrahman, Omar Abdulrahman (Al Ain), Ali Khaseif, Fares Juma, Mohammed Fawzi, Khalfan Mubarak, Mohammed Jamal, Ahmed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Ahmed Rashid, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Wahda), Tariq Ahmed, Mahmoud Khamis, Khalifa Mubarak, Jassim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Yousef Saeed (Sharjah), Suhail Al Nubi (Baniyas)
Results:
Men's 100m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 15 sec; 2. Rheed McCracken (AUS) 15.40; 3. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 15.75. Men's 400m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 50.56; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 50.94; 3. Henry Manni (FIN) 52.24.
The Specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 118hp
Torque: 149Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Price: From Dh61,500
On sale: Now
