Metsu keen to lift team spirit ahead of Asian Cup

Abu Dhabi: The UAE national football team started their preparations for the finals of the 2007 Asian Cup yesterday in Kuala Lumpur, one day after arriving in the Malaysian capital which will be one of the venues for the finals next month.

The UAE team left for their external training camp with 23 players but Hilal Saeed, of Al Ain, had family obligations that prevented him from leaving with his colleagues.

Meanwhile, Frenchman Bruno Metsu, the team's head coach, told the accompanying local media that he will concentrate during the first days of the training camp on the psychological side because he believes that the morale of the players is more important than their physical and tactical preparation.

Metsu talked about his success with the Senegal national team in the finals of the 2002 World Cup when they beat defending champions France and reached the second round, and when he led Al Ain club to win the Asian Champions League title in 2003. "The secret of my success is that I am always keen to be a friend of all my players. It is a positive factor that helps greatly to achieve success by reducing pressure."

The first phase of the training camp will be to increase the player's physical fitness following two weeks' rest they got after the end of the domestic league.

Metsu disclosed that he has a special training programme for each of the players. "It would not be right for a player like Esmail Mattar who was exploited greatly on all levels last season to have the same training programme like the others or the young players to have the same as the more experienced because they need more directing but we regard all the players as equal," Metsu said.