Mansoor leads UAE to title win in youth event

The UAE under-17 team clinched the International friendly football youth championship, which concluded yesterday in Iran.

They defeated Saudi Arabia 1-0 in the final held at Takhti stadium in Tehran. Mansoor Mohammed scored the winner for the UAE in the 67th minute. After receiving a long pass behind the Saudi defenders, Mansoor advanced and fired a right-footer that beat the Saudi custodian to his left.

Jubilant UAE players received the trophy and gold medals at the end of the match, while the Saudis got the silver medals. Six Asian youth teams took part in the tournament which began last week. They were divided into two groups. Group A includes Iran, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, while Group B consists of UAE, Azerbaijan, Oman.

UAE topped group B after defeating Oman and Azerbaijan and reached the final after overcoming Uzbekistan in the semifinals. Saudi Arabia, who also topped group A, beat Azerbaijan in the semifinals.

"It's a great achievement by the UAE youth to win the title among strong Asian teams," Salah Saloumi, the UAE youth team manager, told Gulf News after the match.

Saloumi added that the tournament formed as an excellent preparation for the Asian youth championship finals, to be held in the UAE from September 6-22.

"Taking part in the friendly youth tournament in Iran was our final preparations for the Asian youth finals to be held in Abu Dhabi and Dubai next month. Now we are satisfied with our team's preparations," said Saloumi.

The UAE dominated the match in the first session, but lost several scoring chances. UAE striker Abdullah Al Noubi, the top-scorer of the tournament with four goals, was unlucky yesterday. He was finally substituted in the 78th minute.

In the second session UAE attackers penetrated through the Saudi defence with swift counter-attacks by Al Noubi, Omer Abdul Rahman and Ahmed Juma.

With continuous support from midfielders Abdul Karim Awana, Osama Jaffar, Mansoor Mohammed, Ahmed Khalfan, Abdullah Mubarak, they succeeded in scoring the all-important goal.

Mansoor netted in the 67th minute despite the Saudi defenders attempting to stop them through rough tackles. The Iranian referee flashed the yellow card to stop the violence.

UAE goalkeeper Ismail Obaid was in a fine form yesterday as he saved many shots. Defenders Talal Abdullah, Thani Juma, Mahmood Mohammed also stood firm and denied the Saudis of any scoring chances.

The UAE heroes who won the friendly championship were: Ismail Obaid, Talal Abdullah, Thani Juma, Mahmood Mohammed, Abdul Karim Awana, Osama Jaffar, Mansoor Mohammed, Abdullah Mubarak, Ahmed Khalfan, Ahmed Juma, Abdullah Al Noubi.

Four players came as substitutes in the second session, they were: Omer Abdul Rahman, Radhwan Saleh, Faisal Salim, Salim Abdullah.

Obaid Mubarak, the UAE FA national teams committee secretary, who attended the tournament in Tehran told Gulf News that the UAE youth showed that they were well-prepared for next month's finals.

"We were looking forward to the tournament as a final preparations for the finals. We played four tough matches against Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Oman and Uzbekistan, and it helped us very much."

Obaid said the team will play one or two warm-up matches with local clubs in the UAE before the start of the finals.

"We were planning to play two games with Egyptian youth national team next week, but were cancelled. Instead we will play a match or two against UAE local youth sides," concluded Mubarak.