Amer Abdulrahman quietly flying under radar for UAE and Baniyas

Baniyas midfielder lacks the star power of namesake Omar but is no less valuable to the national team, writes Ali Khaled

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 15: Amer Abdulrahman of the United Arab Emirates in action during the 2015 Asian Cup match between Bahrain and the UAE at Canberra Stadium on January 15, 2015 in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Stefan Postles/Getty Images)Show less

Mention the UAE and Abdulrahman in the same sentence and you are likely to get knowing, approving nods from most football fans at the Asian Cup in Australia.

Omar, the UAE’s golden boy, is making a splash at the tournament with two impressive performances as the side qualified for the quarter-finals.

Some of the spectators might even recognise Omar’s similar-looking, hard-working brother Mohammed.

But there is another Abdulrahman, one who is every bit as integral to the UAE’s success as his namesake.

You will not hear of too many people jumping on the Amer Abdulrahman bandwagon – yet – and that suits the Baniyas midfielder just fine.

On and off the field, Amer Abdulrahman is happy to go about his business quietly. He rarely gives interviews, whether he is on club or international duty.

You will not find his name linked to any controversies, and you certainly will not recognise him by his haircut.

On the pitch, he guards the ball arguably better than any other Emirati player, always making himself available to receive, pass and receive again. Amer does not so much give the ball as he loans it.

UAE coach Mahdi Ali’s philosophy with this group of players has been based on possession football and short passing, inspired by the work of Pep Guardiola during his successful stint as coach of Barcelona.

In that sense, Amer is perfect in the role played by the Barcelona midfielder Xavi in that Guardiola line-up.

Amer sits just in front of his defenders, winning or receiving the ball time and again and passing it to his more extravagantly gifted teammates, more often than not Omar, who go about the business of creating the magic up front for Ali Mabkhout and Ahmed Khalil.

Amer is happy to be the quiet architect in the background, letting others take the plaudits and the headlines.

He was one of the star performers at the UAE’s Gulf Cup triumph in 2013.

So impressive was his form two years ago that there was talk of a move to English Championship side Blackburn Rovers. It did not happen, and 2014 proved to be a difficult time for the midfielder, 25, with injuries keeping him out of the UAE and Baniyas squads for long parts of the year.

Now he is back and looking as good as ever. His performances in the Gulf Cup of Nations in November had hinted at a return to form, even as the UAE fell short at the semi-final stage in their title defence.

In fact, when Omar was injured in the 27th minute of the last-four tie against Saudi Arabia, Amer, as much as anyone, stepped up for his country.

Already trailing 2-0, he, along with Omar’s sibling Mohammed, dragged the UAE back into the match.

His precise free kick led to Khalil's headed goal, which halved the deficit. An impressive comeback was completed shortly after that, before Emirati hearts were broken by Salem Al Dawsari's late winner.

In Australia, Amer has excelled. In the UAE’s two matches, they have had the lion’s share of the ball. In the 4-1 win over Qatar, Mahdi Ali’s men recorded 54 per cent possession, out-passing the new Gulf Cup champions 452 to 379.

Against Bahrain, in a closer match, the gap was even larger – 60 per cent possession and a passing differential of 427 to 266.

Amer’s control of the midfield has been one of the main reasons behind these numbers.

They might not be as eye-catching as Omar Abdulrahman’s fine pass that created the opening goal, nor Mabkhout’s tally of three goals. But you can be certain that for the detail-obsessed Mahdi Ali, they are equally precious.

More of this and, by the end of the tournament, football fans might just be talking as much about the Abdulrahman at the base of the UAE midfield as the bushy-haired one at the top of it.

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