Good start vital for UAE in Asian Cup

Amer Abdulrahman, left, is optimistic about UAE's chances in the competition. Thanassis Stavrakis / AP Photo

DOHA // Amer Abdulrahman has described the UAE's opening match as a championship within a championship.

The UAE will meet North Korea in the Asian Cup on Tuesday to open play in Group D, which includes defending champions Iraq and three-time winners Iran.

The UAE have played against Iraq and Iran regularly but North Korea are an unknown quantity for the "Whites". But the squad know well the importance of the first game in group play.

Abdulrahman, who was named one of the top five players at the 2009 Youth World Cup in Egypt, where the UAE reached the quarter-finals, agrees the first match could make or break their Asian Cup campaign.

"Our first goal is to play a good opening match against North Korea and get the right result," the diminutive Baniyas playmaker, 21, said after a training session. "That game will be a championship in itself and we must strive hard to come away with a win.

"Three points against North Korea will set us up nicely for the other two group games and, of course, give a big boost to the confidence.

"The team is buzzing with confidence and I am sure you will see us play a really good game and raise the image of UAE football on the continental stage. This is our goal and we all are determined to achieve success.

"The Asian Cup is a very big event in the career of any player and we are all very keen to leave really good impressions on the fans from across Asia."

Before travelling to Doha, the UAE had a five-day training camp in Oman and then played two friendly matches at Al Ain, defeating Syria 2-0 and holding Australia 0-0.

Those matches saw Ismail al Hammadi return, after a long injury break, to the levels he showed during the early parts of his international career and the Al Ahli winger is now looking forward to carry that form into the Asian Cup.

"I am really happy to be coming back after such a long period away from both club and international football," said al Hammadi, who was injured during the UAE's final 2010 World Cup qualifying game against South Korea and missed more than a year of football.

"I believe I am gradually getting back to my best and have the confidence of playing the full 90 minutes now. The Gulf Cup in Yemen helped a lot in restoring this confidence."