DUBAi // Khamis Esmail said the UAE national team can cope with the pressure of defending their Gulf Cup crown next month, as preparations intensify for the tournament.
Mahdi Ali’s squad have gathered in Abu Dhabi this week for friendlies against Australia on Friday, and then Uzbekistan on October 14, with another two fixtures scheduled for the first week in November. Opponents for those have not been finalised.
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It marks an important stage in the UAE’s preparations for the Gulf Cup, taking place in Saudi Arabia from November 13 to 26, which serves as a prelude to January’s Asian Cup in Australia.
The 2013 Gulf Cup winners begin their defence against Oman on November 14 before completing Group B with matches against Kuwait and Iraq. The top two sides advance to the semi-finals.
Confidence is high among the UAE squad after a fine sequence of results in which they tasted defeat only once in 25 matches. Most recently, the UAE spent three weeks in Austria in August and September, where they secured draws against Norway, Lithuania and Paraguay.
The continued success of the national team has raised expectations ahead of their Arabian Gulf and Asian assignments, although Esmail, the Al Jazira midfielder, insists his side can handle the strain.
“We had the camp in Austria to improve our readiness and fitness because we understand it’s a big challenge to play in these two very important tournaments,” he said. “But we trust that coach Mahdi will get us 100 per cent ready for them.
“There is more pressure on us at the Gulf Cup in particular because we are the title holders. But the coach works on our mentality, knowing ourselves that we are champions and that everyone is looking to beat us. So he works especially on our morale and our psychology so we’re ready to defend our title.”
A regular in the starting line-up since the 2012 London Olympics, Esmail has stern competition for a place in central midfield with Baniyas’s Amer Abdulrahman returning from a lengthy injury and Al Ahli’s Majid Hassan also pushing for a spot. Yet Esmail, 25, welcomes the challenge.
“It’s good for the team to have this type of competition,” he said. “Each new player tries his best to be first choice and it’s the same for me. I try my best and it’s the manager’s decision, but overall it’s good for the team.
“I try to learn from the more experienced players so it’s an advantage for me as well when I play alongside such strong players.
“We missed Amer a lot. Six months is not a short period, but thankfully he’s now back and performing strongly.
“I believe he’s even more motivated after coming back, so he will give even more.”
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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