UAE break with 2-0 win over Egypt

The UAE youth team will take a well-earned break before they gather again in early August for the next stage of their preparations for the AFC Under 19 Asian Cup in Myanmar in October.

The side completed their camp in Dubai with a second victory over their Egyptian counterparts, following up a 3-1 win with a 3-2 victory, at the Theyab Awana grounds on Monday night.

Nouruddin Al Obaidi, assistant coach of the UAE team, said the squad achieved their objectives from the camp in Dubai by trying out as many tactical combinations as possible.

“The boys did very well to win the second game, even as we experimented and tried out different combinations over the two periods of the match,” he said.

“In the second game, we provided the opportunity for those who didn’t get to play in the first game. We can take a lot of positives forward when we get to the final stage of our preparation.”

Khalaf Al Hosani put the hosts ahead on a penalty kick and Mohammed Osama cancelled it shortly before the break.

Mohammed Majdi struck for the visitors in the second half, before Ahmed Rabie and Hamad Khalid scored a goal apiece to complete the UAE’s triumph.

Mansour Abdullah, the UAE defender, is thinking beyond the continental championship.

“We can take a lot of positives from the build-up for the Asian Cup,” he said. “We have some pretty good players and our objective is to qualify from the continental championship to the U20 Fifa World Cup in New Zealand next year.”

The team will meet in Dubai before heading to Slovakia for a three-week camp on August 15. Players will take a short break, then participate in a 10-day camp in Dubai. They travel to Malaysia for their final camp, then will fly to Myanmar for the championship, which begins on October 9. The UAE meet Australia in the opener in a group which also includes Uzbekistan and Indonesia.

apassela@thenational.ae