Mahdi Ali said the UAE would be under no extra pressure as they start the defence of their Gulf Cup of Nations title in Riyadh on Friday against Oman.
The Whites won the Gulf Cup in emphatic style in Bahrain last year and, ahead of their defence in Riyadh, Mahdi Ali's men are being billed as the favourites alongside hosts Saudi Arabia.
The UAE coach has sought to play down those expectations and said: “The last Gulf Cup is in the past now and we are not thinking about it.
“We are only thinking about this tournament and so we do not feel any additional pressure going into this tournament as defending champions.
“This is a new tournament and my players are well aware of this fact. They are used to playing in front of big crowds and win most of their away confrontations.
“I believe all the eight national teams have improved tremendously since the last Gulf Cup. So we need to prove ourselves once again because, in football, everything depends on your performance on the pitch that day.”
The UAE have played several friendlies since May as part of their preparations for the Gulf Cup, the most recent being a 3-2 win over Lebanon last week, which saw Ahmed Khalil end his long goal drought with a hat-trick.
“Recent preparations have gone very well,” Mahdi Ali said. “The friendly against Lebanon was a chance to ease some of the injured players back in. The group is now ready to take on Oman and we have no injury problems.
“Our squad has a blend of youth and experience, though the average age is 24 years. All the players have a good amount of exposure at the regional, continental and international levels in both regular and friendly appearances.”
The UAE have faced Oman 18 times in the Gulf Cup, including the 2007 final at home, winning 10 matches and losing three.
Mahdi Ali said there are no favourites going into the Gulf Cup with all the teams in the competition, aside from Yemen, at about the same level and familiar with each other’s game.
“We know each other, but our style of play is flexible enough to cope with the run of each and every match,” he said. “We expect the match against Oman to be very difficult and we have to be at our best. This match will be the first step and indicate to us our chances in the championship, and we are confident that the boys will live up to the ambitions of their faithful fans.”
arizvi@thenational.ae
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