Abu Dhabi: The UAE football team and staff on Sunday visited the tomb of the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, located next to the Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.
The team visited the tomb in remembrance of the founder of the UAE and his constant support for Emirati athletes, particularly the UAE football team, which helped the squad attain various achievements and win many championships since the UAE was founded in 1971. The squad has assembled in the capital ahead of their training camp organised to prepare the team for their AFC Asian Cup 2015 qualifying match against Uzbekistan on Friday.
The players and staff spoke about their recollection of Shaikh Zayed, his wisdom, and unique personality that was characterised by tolerance, love, and extending bridges of friendship and cooperation with all countries around the world. Upon their arrival, the UAE squad and staff were received by Yousuf Al Obaidli, Director of the Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre (SZGMC).
After performing noon prayers (Duhr), the team toured the mosque and was briefed by an SZGMC guide on its history and establishment. The players praised the mosque’s cultural role and its status in the local and global field of cultural tourism.
The national team were crowned Gulf Cup champions in January, when they beat the formidable Iraq team in the final in Manama. They now look to continue in this vein of form in the Asian cup qualifiers, where they won their opening tie against Vietnam in Hanoi last month.
