Abu Dhabi: Confident and composed, the UAE national football team coach, Mahdi Ali, on Wednesday delivered a rousing rallying cry to his team ahead of their crucial Fifa 2018 World Cup qualifier against Palestine on Thursday.
Ali declared the Whites would have to “play with our hearts” and “fight until the final minute” at the Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium, which will host a must-win Asian zone Group A showdown for his men from 7pm.
The Whites lie second in Group A in the second round of qualification, three points behind group leaders Saudi Arabia, whom they entertain in their final group game next Tuesday.
Only the group winners are guaranteed progression to the third and final qualifying round, and the Saudis seem likely for top spot given that they have a superior goal difference of three.
The four best second-placed sides out of the eight pools will also qualify, but the UAE are currently outside of that group.
A convincing victory against Palestine — who are third in the group, four points behind the UAE — is therefore essential, Ali acknowledged.
“We know that we have to win this game to keep our chances of qualifying for the final round,” he said at the pre-match press conference at the Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium. “We have to be calm, we have to play with our hearts, be patient to get what we want. I am confident in the team, and with the support of the fans we will get a good result.
“We are playing with the national flag and we will fight until the final minute. I ask the fans to cheer and support the national team.”
The UAE, who are bidding to reach their second World Cup after their debut at Italia 1990, are likely to be without their leading striker, Ali Mabkhout, however.
The Al Jazira forward suffered a hamstring injury in his side’s 1-1 draw with Al Hilal in the AFC Champions League last week.
“The chances for him to be in the squad are very low,” Ali said, before adding that talismanic midfielder, Omar Abdul Rahman, should be fit despite suffering a minor injury in training.
“His injury was very small and probably he can the play the game,” he said. “But we cannot say now and we will see the training today and based on that, we will decide.”
Palestine’s hopes of qualifying for the next round are “almost nil”, Ali added, but the red-capped tactician is not treating Abdul Nasser Barakat’s team lightly after they held the Whites to a 0-0 draw last September.
“We know that we will have a very tough game tomorrow, so we need to concentrate. We have played against Palestine in Ramallah and I think we have a clear picture of the team and, regardless of them changing two or three players, I don’t think there will be very big changes in their style of playing and tactics.
“We are ready for all scenarios.”
In Mabkhout’s likely absence, Ali could turn to the veteran striker, Esmail Mattar, who has not played for the UAE since the 1-0 Gulf Cup win over Oman in November 2014.
“As the coach said, it is a very important match,” said the 32-year-old, who was rested for last Friday’s 6-1 dismantling of Bangladesh at Zayed Sports City. “We have to work very hard to get three points. The Palestine team is very good and we have to be focused for the whole 90 minutes.”
In Thursday’s other Asian zone Group A game, Saudi Arabia will be confident of a handsome victory against a Malaysia side who have conceded 28 goals and scored only three in their seven matches.
