It only takes a poor result for the sceptics to pose questions. After an excellent period of play, eyebrows have been raised after the UAE suffered their worst defeat under coach Mahdi Ali.
They lost 4-0 to Uzbekistan in a friendly at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on October 14, following draws against Norway, Lithuania, Paraguay and Australia, a stretch where they scored one goal.
Mahdi Ali claimed the players were more focused on club duties, with a key game in the Arabian Gulf League scheduled three days after their match against the Central Asian nation.
“The clubs had put in a lot pressure on the players to preserve their best for club duty,” the Emirati said after the UAE’s first home defeat under him since he took charge in August 2012.
Lack of support at home
He also was critical of UAE fans for not showing up for friendlies against Australia and Uzbekistan. “I would rather prefer to play outside the country,” the coach said at the time. “At home, we feel as strangers, because the visiting teams receive more fan support. How will my players get motivated?”
The coach will have an opportunity to redeem his team’s status tonight when they play Lebanon in a friendly in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
An area of concern
After scoring once in five games, offence remains a serious question. Can it be due to the lack of opportunities for some of his key forwards to play in the domestic league?
Ahmed Khalil, regarded as a potential goal-scoring prospect after he won the Golden Boot and the Asian Young Player of the Year award in 2008, has to play a secondary role for his club.
He has not played the full 90 minutes for his club in any of the eight Arabian Gulf League games this season.
After coming on as 61st-minute substitute against Al Wasl, Khalil was included in the line-up against Fujairah, but was replaced in the second half.
Ismail Matar’s inclusion
Ismail Matar, the player of the tournament when the UAE won the Gulf Cup in 2007, has not started in a single domestic game this season.
The Al Wahda forward, 31, is not performing at the same level as he was seven years ago, yet Mahdi Ali has included him because of his experience and canny technical skills.
Ali Mabkhout, who has been in decent form for his club, has not been as successful for the national team in the last five games. The same applies to Ismail Al Hammadi and Mohammed Abdulrahman, although these two are expected to play behind the main strikers.
Omar Abdulrahman
Omar Abdulrahman has returned from an injury and will be expected to play a key role for the UAE to retain their hold on the biennial championship title.
The Al Ain midfielder might be going through a lean period, but that is not unusual for any player.
He certainly would be a heavily marked man on the pitch, yet he holds the key for the UAE with his creative play.
apassela@thenational.ae
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