Dubai prepares to host Asian leg of beach soccer qualifiers

Dubai: Japan, Iran and Oman will start as the prime favourites when the Asian qualifiers for the 2009 Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup get under way at the Umm Suqueim Beach in Jumeirah from Saturday, finishing on November 11.

With Asian champions UAE booking a spot at the Beach Soccer World Cup as hosts, the competition for the two spots on offer is bound to be intense with teams such as Bahrain, China, Uzbekistan and debutants Australia in the fray.

Perhaps Japan goes in with the strongest portfolio, having ended runners-up for the past three occasions followed by Oman and Iran by virtue of their ranking in Asia.

"We cannot say that the other teams will not be up to the mark," noted Joan Cusco, Member of the Fifa Futsal and Beach Soccer Committee.

"Beach soccer has been improving so quickly that no one team can be discounted. We cannot say any of the groups is strong or weak," Cusco added.

The seven participating teams have been divided into two groups: Group A with Japan, Bahrain and Uzbekistan and Group B with Iran, China, Oman and Australia, who come here with no prior experience of playing competitive matches.

"But we do have a good set of youngsters who have the capacity of working hard," said Australian coach Airton Andrioli.

"We are not a beach soccer nation, but I am confident we can do a good job," he added.

Australia begin their campaign against Iran on Saturday.

Oman coach Talib Al Thanawi refrained from underestimating any of the other six opponents.

"We want to take one match at a time and I am sure all teams have come here with a certain amount of preparation. I know it is not going to be easy for us though we are former champions," Al Thanawi stated.

Oman will take on China in their opener at 3pm on Saturday.

Salah Tahlak, Tournament Director and Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), stated that the Asian qualifiers will be like a test run for the Beach Soccer World Cup that will follow.

"These qualifiers will not [only] show the UAE in a different light but also give us the chance to test all facilities for the Beach Soccer World Cup to follow," he said.

The preliminary round-robin matches for both groups will be held from November 7-9 followed by the semifinals and final on November 10 and 11.

(November 7) (3 pm) China vs Oman; Bahrain vs Uzbekistan; Australia vs Iran; UAE vs Japan.

(November 8) (3 pm) China vs Australia; Bahrain vs UAE; Iran vs Oman; Japan vs Uzbekistan.

(November 9) (3 pm) Oman vs Australia; Uzbekistan vs UAE; Iran vs China; Japan vs Bahrain.

(November 10) (3 pm) Semifinals

(November 11) (4 pm) Third place; Final followed by UAE vs France (exhibition) schedule