Hamdan Al Kamali says he is determined to use the King's Cup to force his way back into the UAE squad for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
The Al Wahda defender, a former national team captain, wore the armband in Friday's disappointing opening defeat to Jordan in Thailand, when an experimental UAE side lost 3-1 at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Mahdi Ali’s men complete the three-day tournament on Sunday with the play-off for third place against Syria, where the UAE’s second string will get another chance to impress ahead of the third and final stage of World Cup qualifying later this year. The UAE begin their Group B campaign in September with the double-header against Japan and Australia.
Al Kamali, 27, has recently fallen out of favour, but following a strong domestic season with Wahda in which he helped the club finish third in the Arabian Gulf League, he is optimistic he can force his way back into the regular international set-up.
“For me, it’s very important to be in this team to prove myself,” Al Kamali said. “Hopefully I do my best because I want to be in the team.
“This season, I played very well and also I had a good contact with Mahdi Ali – we always talk on the phone. It was very hard for me before. I was sad because I wasn’t with the team in the last two qualifying games, but now I have a good chance to be with them again.
“But I know I must prove myself now. I must do all my best in training, with the team and with the coach. I must help this group because I have good experience.”
That experience will have been key in Thailand, with the majority of the UAE’s 23-man squad consisting players from lower age-group teams. Established first-team stars, such as Omar Abdulrahman, Ali Mabkhout and Ahmed Khalil, have not travelled.
“Everybody was asking why I’m with the team, because I’m an old player in this team, but it will be very good to give my experience to the young players,” said Al Kamali, who has been capped 30 times. “I help them and I’m here also to help the coach, because they’re the future of the UAE. They will play in the final qualifying for the World Cup and after the Asian Cup in the UAE in 2019.”
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