KUALA LUMPUR // Four days out from the beginning of their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign, there is a palpable sense that the real work has started for the UAE.
As the sun scorched Malaysia for much of yesterday and gave way to a stifling June evening, the national team were toiling in the heat, back at full training for the first time since their punishing defeat to South Korea. Thursday’s 3-0 reverse may have come in a friendly, but it still hurt all involved, prompting coach Mahdi Ali to close ranks ahead of Tuesday’s opening Group A assignment against East Timor.
On Friday, a squad already jaded from a demanding domestic season were allowed to nurse aching limbs through a light recovery session, yet management spent time analysing videos at their hotel in Shah Alam, an area on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur chosen for its proximity to the Shah Alam Stadium. Their location offers minimal distraction away from the throbbing streets of the Malaysian capital.
The South Korea encounter has been dissected as Mahdi Ali seeks to ensure the mistakes that blighted performance on Thursday are not repeated.
East Timor’s qualifying draw with Malaysia has been studied in great detail, too. One message has been hammered home: this tiny nation, ranked 146th in the world, cannot be underestimated, especially as the UAE try to shake off the rust that was evident against the Koreans.
The session was closed to the public – Mahdi Ali’s orders – as if to emphasise the importance of the next period, but also to keep prying eyes from extracting whatever information they could.
There was no cause for confusion: the road to Russia 2018 has officially begun.
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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