Edgardo Bauza has named his first UAE squad ahead of the national team’s must-win World Cup qualifier against Thailand next month.
The Argentine, installed two weeks ago as Mahdi Ali's successor, has selected 30 players, keeping the majority of the squad chosen for the twin defeats to Japan and Australia in qualifying in March. Only Mohammed Abdulrahman, the Al Ain midfielder, misses out from that group.
A number of fresh call-ups from President’s Cup winners Al Wahda have been added, though, including forward Mohammed Al Akberi, winger Tariq Ahmed, midfielder Khalid Bawazir and goalkeeper Rashid Ali. Club teammates Ismail Matar and Hamdan Al Kamali have been recalled. Al Ain right-back Mohammed Ahmed has returned following a lengthy injury.
The entire squad will meet in Dubai on May 30 for a two-day internal camp before travelling to Malaysia on June 1. The UAE have arranged a friendly with Lebanon on June 7 — Bauza’s first match in charge — before leaving for Thailand the following day. The qualifier with Thailand takes place in Bangkok on June 13.
The UAE sit fourth in Group B in the final stage of qualifying for next year’s World Cup, two spots and seven points outside the automatic qualification spots with three matches remaining. They are four points behind Australia in third place — a position that opens a possible route to Russia through a series of play-offs.
After bottom-placed Thailand next month, the UAE host joint-leaders Saudi Arabia on August 31 before facing Iraq away on September 5.
FULL UAE SQUAD
Ali Khaseif, Mohammed Fawzi, Fares Juma, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout (Al Jazira), Majed Naser, Abdulaziz Haikal, Abdulaziz Sanqour, Walid Abbas, Khamis Esmail, Habib Fardan, Ismail Al Hammadi, Ahmed Khalil (Al Ahli), Khalid Essa, Ismail Ahmed, Mohanad Salem, Mohammed Ahmed, Ahmed Barman, Omar Abdulrahman (Al Ain), Rashid Ali, Hamdan Al Kamali, Khalid Bawazir, Tariq Ahmed, Mohammed Al Akberi, Ismail Matar (Al Wahda), Hassan Ibrahim, Mohammed Marzouq (Al Shabab), Mahmoud Khamis, Tariq Ahmed, Salem Saleh (Al Nasr).
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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