Kuala Lumpur: UAE coach Mahdi Ali has warned his side not to take Timor-Leste lightly in their opening 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifier at the Shah Alam Stadium here on Tuesday.
The Rising Sun currently boast their highest ever Fifa ranking of 146 after reaching the second round of AFC World Cup qualification for the first time in their history with a 5-1 first round aggregate win over Mongolia in March. However, Fabio Magrao’s men are still 73 positions behind 73rd-ranked UAE, who finished third at January’s Asian Cup in Australia.
Ali, who earned a three-year contract extension as a result of that podium finish, now wants to continue this form as the Whites bid to reach only their second World Cup finals.
“There is no ambiguity surrounding Timor-Leste,” he said ahead of what is a scheduled to be a home game for Timor-Leste, but will be played on neutral territory for logistical reasons. “We have followed them and know their abilities and the possibilities of their players, especially as a number of naturalised Brazilian players feature in their ranks.
“Although they were low seeds in the second round draw [fourth pot] we treat every game with the same seriousness and focus regardless of our competitor and their classification.
“The first game is very important to us and I hope to offer a good performance, which shows the top professional readiness and strong focus of our team on a level with their most recent showing in Australia.”
The UAE will face difficult conditions in Malaysia but, having arrived in Kuala Lumpur on June 5 to acclimatise — losing 3-0 to South Korea in a friendly last Thursday — Ali said it shouldn’t be a problem.
“Our game against Timor-Leste in a hot and humid atmosphere is what drove us to an early departure for Malaysia to get used to the weather and the quality of the turf, which is different to the pitches in the UAE.
“We benefitted from an internal camp in Abu Dhabi, which shares similarities with the climate in Malaysia.
“Going to Malaysia early also gives us a chance to assess the strengths and weaknesses of our group rivals Timor-Leste and Malaysia [who drew 1-1 against each other in their opening World Cup qualifier on Thursday].”
Ali added that the youngsters brought into the squad for the UAE’s internal training camp in Abu Dhabi from May 18 to June 2 would be called upon again over the course of this qualifying campaign, which is punctuated by the 2015 Gulf Cup in Kuwait this December and could be hit by injuries and call-ups for military service.
Al Jazira keeper Ali Khaseif and Al Ain defender Faris Juma are already missing for the Timor-Leste game due to national service, while Al Ahli keeper Ahmad Dida has withdrawn due to the poor health of his father.
“The camp was an opportunity to learn more about the proximity between the Olympic team players and the first team in preparation for using them in the future,” he said. “We will definitely combine players from the Olympic team in the future, especially as it is a long qualifying journey and players will be called up for national service, which is a duty and an honour for all players.”
Two particular newcomers, he said, had caught his eye.
“There are promising elements especially among the attackers. Most of the attackers in the Arabian Gulf League are foreign so it’s good to have a second line of attack to rely on in the future, like Mohammad Al Akbari and Rashid Al Hajeri. They represent good raw materials and will be one of the key pillars in the coming years,” he added.
