Sport | Football
Young guns
Frenchman Dominique Bathenay, the head coach of the UAE, has invited six new players to join the country's squad for the training camp in Al Ain as they prepare to defend their Gulf Cup title.
- By Yasir Abbasher, Senior Reporter
- Published: 23:03 December 19, 2008
- Abdul Raheem Juma of the UAE national team in action against Karim Bagheri of Iran at Al Nasr Club, during the 2010 Fifa World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
- Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan//Gulf News
Abu Dhabi: Frenchman Dominique Bathenay, the head coach of the UAE, has invited six new players to join the country's squad for the training camp in Al Ain as they prepare to defend their Gulf Cup title.
The UAE will kick off their preparations on Monday, only 12 days before the opening of the 19th Gulf Cup in Muscat, Oman, when the hosts face Kuwait followed by the match between Iraq and Bahrain.
The UAE, winners of the last version of the regional tournament, two years ago, will play two friendly matches against Iraq, on December 27 and against Kuwait on December 30.
The team will leave for Oman on January 2. They play their first match against Yemen on January 5. This game will be followed by the Saudi Arabia versus Qatar encounter in the same group.
Bathenay has sought to capitalise on the success of the UAE's youth team, which won the Asian Youth Championship last month.
He has invited their captain, Hamdan Esmail Al Kamali, their top striker and Asia's Best Young Player of the Year, Ahmad Khalil in addition to defenders Mohammad Fayez, and Mahmoud Khamis.
The Al Jazira young custodian Ali Khaseef, their defender Khalid Sabeel and the Al Ain's central defender Mohannad Al Enazy were the six debutants with the squad.
The list of 26 players also witnessed the return of Saleh Obaid, the left wing back of Al Jazira to the national team following his brilliant form with his club, the leaders of the local competition.
The other players are: Majed Nasir, Obaid Al Taweela, Mohammad Qassim, Adil Abdul Aziz, Esmail Al Hammadi, Ahmad Dada, Hayder Allo Ali, Abdul Rahim Juma, Esmail Mattar, Mohammad Al Shehhi, Faris Juma, Abdulla Malulla, Ahmad Mudhad, Ali Al Waheebi, Waleed Abbass, Nawaf Mubarak, Amer Mubarak and Mohammad Ebrahim.
The UAE will face Iraq in the Khalifa Stadium in Al Ain and play against Kuwait in Dubai.
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