With their dreams of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup now in tatters, the UAE are hoping pride will be the spur when they take on Saudi Arabia in Riyadh tonight. The UAE, with just a solitary point from five games, have bowed out of contention for the two automatic qualifying places from Group Two of the Asian competition. And there is no possibility of taking the indirect route, via play-offs.
Their journey to South Africa has reached a dead end, but Fahad Ali, the administrative manager of the team, insists the players have a greater incentive in this game. "It is not about qualification any more," he said. "This game is about the UAE itself, about our honour and pride. "So we will be going into the match and give it everything we have. We want a positive result, even though we are out of the qualification race.
"We tried our best in the match against North Korea, but unfortunately luck was not on our side. I don't think we played badly." The 2-0 defeat in Pyongyang on Saturday brought the curtain down on UAE's campaign, but the Saudis are still in the hunt and are determined to qualify for their fifth consecutive World Cup finals. A stunning 2-1 win over Iran in Tehran on Saturday has given a timely boost to the Green Falcons as they try to catch up with the two Korean teams.
North Korea lead Group Two with 10 points, while South Korea are two behind. The Saudis are on seven points and will be desperate to add three more tonight to stay in the hunt for the two direct qualification places from the group. The third placed teams from the two Asian groups will play against each other and the winner will then take on the Oceania champion for a ticket to South Africa. The Saudis will be keen to avoid taking the longer route to their fifth World Cup finals, but the UAE midfielder Nawaf Mubarak insists the hosts should expect no favours from his side.
"People believe that we will be an easy prey for the Saudis since they will be playing at home, determined to grab one of the two direct berths or at least the third place in the group," said the Al Sharjah player. "But we see this game as an opportunity to prove ourselves and regain our honour. We want to improve the image of UAE football and put an end to the series of losses we have suffered in recent times."
Things are, however, stacked heavily against Mubarak and his teammates. Statistics are loaded in favour of the Saudis, who have won 15 of the 27 matches between the Gulf neighbours and have lost just six. In the last five games, UAE have lost all but one. The hosts will also be boosted by the return of their talismanic striker Yasser al Qahtani for tonight's game. Al Qahtani was dropped from the team for the trip to Tehran after missing a training session, but after a public apology, he has been reinstated.
Fahad, however, believes the UAE could prevail despite being the underdogs as the pressure will be on the hosts. "There will be a lot of pressure on the Saudis," he said. "They will be playing at home, in front of their fans, seeking a win to get close to qualification. "Our team is in a completely different situation. "There is no pressure on us and I am confident this will help us in putting up a good show."
arizvi@thenational.ae
