Omar quits international scene

Abu Dhabi: UAE captain Mohammad Omar has decided to hang up his boots.

Omar told Gulf News yesterday that the final of the Gulf Cup was his last international match for his country.

"I was waiting for a suitable chance to announce my retirement. I don't believe that I will get another chance like this after I could present the Gulf Cup to His Highness the President,"Omar said.

"I was lucky to be the first UAE captain to hold aloft the Gulf Cup. We have tried for more than 30 years to achieve that goal and we were not fortunate in the previous tournaments. Winning the Gulf Cup was all that I wanted to do to retire at the top of my career. I am honoured to have captained the team in the past few years," the striker added.

Two generations

The 32-year-old captain has played 94 internationals for his country. " I was lucky to have played with two generations of UAE players. I believe that this team is capable of many laurels - winning the Gulf Cup is just a start to their playing careers.

"I am sure that the players' self-belief will increase after winning this tournament and that will help a great deal in the finals of the Asian Cup in July this year," Omar said.

The UAE will compete in the finals of the 2007 Asian Cup in a group that features hosts Vietnam, defending champions Japan and Qatar.

On the club front, Omar said that his contract with Al Jazira extends till the end of the 2007-08 season and he will decide later whether to continue with Al Jazira or shift to another team.

"I am a professional player and my future will be decided according to the contracts I receive. I am still capable of playing for more than three seasons," Omar added.