UAE manager Mahdi Ali makes the cover of The National Sport on Thursday, August 8, 2016 as we follow up on the Emirates' 1-0 defeat to Australia in a 2018 World Cup qualifier in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
The UAE succumbed to a Tim Cahill goal that put Australia at the top of Group B in the final round of qualifying in Asia with maximum points from their two matches, while the defeat left the UAE joint fourth with Japan in the six-team group on three points.
Mahdi Ali thanked the UAE fans for their support on Tuesday night and vowed to repay them by making the World Cup. More than 40,000 spectators were present at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, one of the biggest crowds at a national team match in recent years.
“I apologise for the result,” Mahdi Ali said. “I wish that the team will give better performances and we will celebrate our qualification to the World Cup in this stadium in the future.”
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