UAE World Cup 1990 story set for big screen

Dubai: The UAE’s qualification for the 1990 Fifa World Cup in Italy is to set to become the subject of a documentary by Abu Dhabi-based film company Image Nation.

Filming is due to start soon and will feature everyone from the players and coaches to the fans and journalists who followed the team on the road to Italia ’90.

In addition, Image Nation is asking the public to get involved by telling their own stories and sharing their memories of the tournament.

The UAE reached the 1990 World Cup against all odds by winning an Asian qualifying competition against the likes of China, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, North Korea and Qatar.

Despite then going on to lose all three group games at the finals, to Colombia (2-0), eventual champions West Germany (5-1) and Yugoslavia (4-1), the team went down in folklore as the “golden generation” and their feat of World Cup qualification has yet to be replicated.

The film, which will combine archive footage, interviews and new shots, is being led by creative producer Stevan Riley and UAE-based director Nizar Sfair.

Riley is acclaimed for films such as the 2010 award-winning documentary Fire in Babylon, about the record-breaking West Indies cricket team of the 1970s and 1980s, and Sfair has won praise in the region for short films such as Tooth of Hope (2014) and Paradise Falls (2011).

“I’m sure people remember the UAE at the World Cup in 1990 but so many of them will not know about the fascinating narrative about how they qualified. It really is dramatic and inspiring,” said Riley.

“We are in the early stages but it is coming together. Getting those in the UAE involved in the process is fantastic and something we really want to encourage,” he added.

Nizar said the film would serve as an important historical document for future generations.

“We all feel that this is a story that simply has not had the publicity it should have in the past as these players achieved so much in getting to the World Cup in 1990,” he said.

“It is so exciting to be on the road making the documentary and everyone who gets involved is very passionate. We are working very hard to bring it all together and there are some fantastic challenges ahead that we are all looking forward to.”

If you have memories of the UAE’s road to Italia ’90, you can call 00971 50 812 0599, email UAEWorldCupFilm@gmail.com, or go to www.facebook.com/UAEworldcupfilm or Twitter @UAEWorldCupFilm.