The UAE national team will begin preparations for a packed 2023 with a training camp in September.
The national team, who last month missed out on qualifying for this year’s Fifa World Cup, are expected to convene for an external get-together in Europe. The UAE will look to play a selection of friendly matches during the camp, with Paraguay mooted as a possible first opponent, potentially on September 23.
Manager Rodolfo Arruabarrena will be keen to lock down as much time with his players ahead of a busy first half to next year, which begins with the Arab Gulf Cup in Iraq in January. The UAE will then compete as hosts in the West Asian Football Federation Championship in March and April, before contesting the 2023 Asian Cup next summer. As of yet, the tournament is without a host.
With China withdrawing in May because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Asian Football Confederation extended until July 15 the deadline to receive expressions of interest to stage the continent’s premier competition. Japan and South Korea are believed to be frontrunners to host.
Meanwhile, Arruabarrena and staff are said to be spending the next few weeks travelling around the Adnoc Pro League clubs’ pre-season camps in Europe, as they put together preparations for the September gathering.
The Argentine, appointed in February as successor to Bert van Marwijk, has already introduced a number of younger players into the national team set-up. Last month, the UAE’s hopes disappeared of reaching a second World Cup in the country’s history when they lost their continental play-off with Australia. The national team were beaten 2-1 in Qatar.
Arruabarrena’s contract runs through until the Asian Cup, where the UAE will be looking to build on their run to the semi-finals, on home soil, in 2019. They are two-time winners of the Arabian Gulf Cup – 2007 and 2013 – although exited the most recent tournament, in 2019, at the group stage. The 25th edition of the event is scheduled for Iraq from January 6-19. Iraq lasted hosted in 1979.
The UAE are planning another training camp in November, in the lead-up to the Qatar World Cup.
UAE v Australia player ratings
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UAE RATINGS: Khalid Eisa – 6. No chance with Irvine’s close-range finish, but made a fine stop to deny Maclaren later on, low to his left. Similarly, could not be faulted for Hrustic’s deflected knockout blow. AFP -
Walid Abbas – 7. The UAE captain had minimal traffic coming his way because Australia spent much of the game trying to find a solution to the attacking threat of Harib Abdallah in front of him. Getty -
Khalifa Al Hammadi – 6. Followed a stretching early clearance with a foul on the edge of the box in a nervy start, but put his body on the line to try to keep the Aussies out. AFP -
Mohammed Al Attas – 7. Made one vital intervention when Maclaren, the substitute, was poised to score. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Khalid Al Dhanhani – 7. Did well twice in the same play to limit the damage of a loose pass by Mabkhout in the first half. Tenacious throughout. EPA -
Ali Salmeen – 5. Lucky to escape a booking after a late clip on Mooy. Allowed Boyle to wriggle away from him to create the opening goal. Could not block Hrustic’s blazing shot for the winner. AP -
Abdullah Hamad – 7. A bundle of energy throughout despite the sapping conditions. Photo: UAE FA -
Abdullah Ramadan – 6. Botched a good attacking chance when he blazed a free-kick from the right flank nowhere near his attackers. Needed to get on the ball more and look to find Abdallah. AP -
Harib Abdallah – 9. Sensational performance. UAE’s hero in their last game against South Korea was played wide left this time, and his pace made him the game’s most potent threat. Brilliant assist for Canedo’s goal. EPA -
Caio Canedo – 7. So clearly motivated, and dragged his side back into the game almost immediately after Jackson Irvine opened the scoring. Getty -
Ali Mabkhout – 4. Way off the pace. Isolated. Lax in possession. Booked for a clumsy foul. So disappointing from UAE’s greatest scorer on his return to the side. Getty -
SUBS: Ali Saleh (Mabkhout 75’) – NA. Immediately made his presence felt with a tenuous-looking foul on Behic; Yahya Nader (Ramadan 75’) – NA. Had few chances to impress after coming on in the second phase. AFP -
Omar Abdulrahman (Hamad 88’) – NA. Found the ball in space three times despite only having a tiny amount of time to make a difference, but each time his passes were painfully errant; Sebastian Tagliabue (Candeo 88’) – NA. Won a flick on as UAE chased the game in the dying moments, but that was the extent of it; Majed Hassan (Salmeen 88’) – NA. Looked fresher than anyone, but had minimal chance to make an impression as part of the late treble substitution. AFP -
AUSTRALIA RATINGS: Mathew Ryan – 7. Australia’s captain twice made close-range blocks from Abdallah, then made another from the same player low down at the start of the second half. AFP -
Nathaniel Atkinson – 5. The right back was defenceless against the speed of Harib Abdallah. EPA -
Kye Rowles – 6. The Hearts defender had arguably the best attacking chance of the first half, but the ball slipped off his forehead and away as he aimed a header at goal. EPA -
Bailey Wright – 7. The Sunderland centre back was ever willing to put his head where it could potentially hurt. Getty -
Aziz Behich – 7. Given the temperature, his willingness to race up and down the left touchline was highly commendable. AFP -
Aaron Mooy – 6. Deployed in a deep-lying midfield playmaker role. Too often contented himself with unambitious, lateral passes. EPA -
Ajdin Hrustic – 8. The Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder posed a threat with his crisp left-footed crossing, and went close with a curled shot from range. Booked for unnecessary roughness. Then decided it with a blockbusting volley. Getty -
Jackson Irvine – 7. One of the players who broke UAE’s hearts in Sydney four years ago, looked to have done the same here when he opened the scoring from close range. Lost Canedo for the equaliser moments later. Getty -
Martin Boyle – 8. Prominent in the early throes down the right flank, notably with a slaloming dribble, and played the vital role in setting up Irvine for the opener. AP -
Craig Goodwin – 5. Wasted a fine attacking opportunity in the first half when he badly over-hit his left-footed cross. His miss with a half volley in the second half was worse. Getty -
Mathew Leckie – 6. Needed to pick a more meaningful pass on one of the few chances he had to make difference. Huffed and puffed the rest of the time. AFP -
SUBS: Jamie Maclaren (Goodwin 72’) – NA. Introduced with just under 20 minutes to go, and twice found himself dangerously placed, only to be denied by Al Attas then Eisa. Getty -
Milos Degenek (90'+1 Hrustic) – NA. A late introduction to chew up time and close up space with Australia holding the lead. AFP -
Awer Mabil (Leckie 90'+1) – NA. Given just moments at the end as Graham Arnold looked to shut up shop. Getty
