ABU DHABI // Srecko Katanec, the UAE national team coach, has questioned the wisdom of scheduling Asia qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in the height of summer heat.
The first round of qualifying involves home and away matches on June 29-30 and July 3-4, and the second round, when the UAE face India, home and away, is set for July 23 and 28.
The average July high temperature in Abu Dhabi, site of the UAE's first qualifier four years ago, is 42°C; the average low is 28.8°C.
"It's a little bit crazy to play football here in July but the Asian federation doesn't care about this," said Katanec, 47, the UAE coach since June 2009. "The conditions here will be very difficult."
Other teams from the region who will be playing in July are Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Syria.
In 2007, during the early stages of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, the UAE's first-round matches were played in October, a more temperate month, with average highs of 36.6°C.
The first three rounds of Asian qualifying have been moved ahead for the 2014 World Cup.
The third-round group play runs from September of this year until next February.
Before the 2010 World Cup, the third round began in February of 2008 and concluded in June. "It's crazy that someone thinks it's OK to play here in July," Katanec said. "Everyone knows what the conditions will be."
The coach said his team will be dealing with issues of fatigue before the July matches.
Several key members of the side also play in the Olympic team, which will play qualifiers on June 18 and 23.
"Now I must make a plan," he said. "I must consider the Olympic team. The players must take a rest, before a camp, because it will not be easy."
The UAE have made only one appearance in a World Cup final, in 1990.
