Abu Dhabi: Srecko Katanec, the head coach of the UAE senior national football team, has invited four new players to join his squad's training camp in Oman preparing for the Asian Cup in Qatar from January.
Defenders Abdul Aziz Haikal and Mohammad Ahmad, both from Al Shabab, midfielders Omar Abdul Rahman, from Al Ain, and Mohammad Fawzi from Bani Yas are the new recruits following their great form with the country's Olympic team that took the silver medal in the Asian Games in China last month.
The list announced by Katanec features 25 players but will be reduced to 23 before the kick-off of the finals.
The players selected are: Ali Khaseef, Khalid Sabeel, Abdullah Mousa, Subait Khater and Ahmad Juma, from Al Jazira. Esmail Mattar, Mahmoud Khamis, Saeed Al Kathiri, Hamdan Al Kamali, Adil Al Hosani and Mohammad Al Shehi, from Al Wahda. Yousuf Jaber, Amer Abdul Rahman, Fawzi and Theyab Awanah, from Bani Yas.
Others are Haikal Ahmad and Waleed Abbas, from Al Shabab; Faris Juma, Ali Al Waheebi and Abdul Rahman, from Al Ain; Esmail Al Hammadi and Ahmad Khalil, from Al Ahli; Amer Mubarak from Al Nasr; and Majid Nasser from Al Wasl.
The team will leave for Muscat on Friday following matches of the 11th week of the UAE Pro-League (UFL) tomorrow.
They will continue preparing until December 30 when they will return home to play two friendly matches in Al Ain against Syria on January 2 and Australia on January 5. The team will leave for Doha, Qatar, on January 7, the opening day of the Asian Cup.
The UAE will compete in Group D with North Korea, reigning champions Iraq and Iran and will start their campaign against the Koreans on January 11.
