Abu Dhabi: With Al Ain missing out on the Fifa Club World Cup, UAE football’s blue eyed boy Omar Abdul Rahman or ‘Amoory’ will also not figure in the biggest club showpiece event.
It’s a hard pill to swallow for the local fans, considering the tournament is being held in his own backyard.
Last December, the frizzly haired Omar, who won the AFC Player of the Year, swapped team for a day to play in a friendly in Doha for Saudi’s Al Ahli against the might of the Barcelona’s MSN — Messi, Suarez and Neymar. Though Al Ahli lost the contest 5-3 with the Barcelona’s trio scoring a goal apiece, Amoory introduced after the half-an-hour mark sparked life in the match and also ended-up scoring a brilliant ‘Panenka’ penalty.
The Club World Cup would have been a huge opportunity for Omar to showcase his skills at a world stage, especially against the likes of Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo. The only way Amoory can now make it to the Club World Cup is if Al Jazira is ready to rope in the playmaker on loan and if Al Ain is willing to adhere to any such offers.
An Al Jazira spokesperson, when contacted to speak about their qualification following Al Ain’s loss, said there was nothing to rejoice as they were backing Al Ain being the lone team left from UAE at the continental tournament.
“We are not at all happy that Al Ain have crashed out of the AFC Championship. They were the flag-bearers from the UAE and so our support was naturally for them. Now that they are out, the onus is on us to focus on our team and make them cent per cent ready for the next major challenge — the Club World Cup,” he said.
It is still too early to get a reaction from both clubs on Amoory for now. However, with plenty of time on hand, even the hard-core of supporters of both clubs will be hoping that a middle way be taken to make room for a player of Amoory’s calibre on the big stage.
