Abu Dhabi: The UAE’s joy at having thrashed Bangladesh 6-1 in a friendly on Friday evening has been tempered with the news that their leading striker, Ali Mabkhout, will miss the first of two crucial Fifa 2018 World Cup qualifiers next week.
The Al Jazira forward has been ruled out of Thursday’s clash with Palestine in Abu Dhabi after an x-ray showed he had torn his right hamstring during his club’s 1-1 draw with Al Hilal in the Asian Champions League on Tuesday.
Mabkhout has flown to Serbia to see renowned physiotherapist Mariana Kovacevic, who has treated high-profile players such as Frank Lampard and Robin van Persie, in a bid to be fit for the UAE’s final Asian zone Group A qualifier against Saudi Arabia on March 29.
The UAE need to win both matches against Palestine and the Saudis, who are three points ahead of Mahdi Ali’s men at the top of the group, in order to progress to the final World Cup qualifying round. The eight group winners will progress along with the four best runners-up’s.
While 29-goal man Mabkhout’s absence next week will be a significant blow for Ali, encouragement was provided by his replacement, Salem Saleh, at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi on Friday evening.
The Al Nasr striker scored twice after coming on as a substitute — matching the feat of Esmail Al Hammadi — in the routing of Bangladesh, who are 113 places below the 64th-ranked UAE in the Fifa pecking order.
Ahmad Khalil, the 2015 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Player of the Year, and Ahmad Ali were also on target. For the Al Ahli forward Khali, it was his fifth goal in his last seven appearances for his country against the minnows, who had cancelled out Al Hammadi’s opener with a goal from Nabib Newaj Jibon.
In other UAE football news, on Friday Bani Yas confirmed they had sacked their coach, Luis Garcia.
The ‘Sky Blues’ have recruited their former player and current technical director, Salem Al Orafi, in a caretaker capacity until the end of the season.
The Abu Dhabi club had been set to appoint the UAE under-23 coach, Abdullah Misfir, as Gulf News reported earlier this week
Garcia leaves the club with three months left on his contract, having joined in the summer of 2014.
The club finished eighth in the Arabian Gulf League last season, the same position they occupy now, and are out of the President’s Cup and the Arabian Gulf Cup. “The club management, after evaluating the team’s performance under Garcia this season, decided not to continue with his services,” said Hassan Al Marzouqi, the club spokesman. “We made an early settlement of his dues to relieve him of his duties so we have enough time to look for a new coach. The team is now under the capable hands of Salem.
“He knows the players well and has done a pretty good job for us in the past. We are confident he can bring some good results and take us through until the end of the season.”
As a coach, Al Orafi led Bani Yas to the Gulf Clubs’ Championship in 2013, before which he captained the President’s Cup-winning side in 1992.
