AL AIN // The UAE Olympic team, returning to action for the first time since winning the Under 23 Gulf Cup more than two months ago, were impressive 3-0 winners over their Egyptian counterparts in the first of two friendlies at the Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium.
Hamdan al Kamali fired a free kick from 35 yards that torpedoed through the Egyptian defensive wall for a 37th-minute lead and Saeed al Kathiri doubled it in added time of the first half for a two-goal cushion. Khamis Ismail, a late substitute, completed the rout when he blasted home a loose ball in front of a crowded goalmouth six minutes from time.
"It is our first game in more than two months and a satisfying game and result," said Mahdi Ali, the UAE coach. "No coach wants to lose any game whether it is a friendly or competition, so this start is good for the moral of the team. We were technically better but there is always room for improvement." Meanwhile, the UAE have been given a easy draw with Uzbekistan, Bangladesh and Hong Kong, whom they play first, in next month's Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, but Ali insisted though the draw was reasonable, it does not guarantee his team a place in the knockout round of 16.
"One thing I learnt from my long experience in playing and coaching was not to take anything for granted in football," said Ali. "There are no weak teams in today's world. It may look easy on paper but none of the teams are going to be easy opponents if we don't play to our full potential, which means every game is hard work. "Uzbekistan will be the one to beat in this group but don't underestimate Hong Kong and Bangladesh in the age group competition."
