UAE fall at the final hurdle

Amith Passela

• Last Updated: November 19. 2009 1:27AM UAE / November 18. 2009 9:27PM GMT

The Iraqi team celebrates their 1-0 victory in Al Ain. Stephen Lock / The National

AL AIN // Srecko Katanec suffered his first defeat in five games as the UAE coach after an early goal from Mahdi Karim earned Iraq a 1-0 win over the hosts in last night’s final of the four-team UAE International Cup at the Tahnoun bin Mohammed Stadium.

The Asian champions summoned all their experience to hold the youthful UAE side after they took the lead in the 20th minute. They played an attacking game in the first half before keeping it tight in the latter stages.

Katanec strengthened the midfield after the break by bringing in the experienced Subait Khater and Mahmoud Khamis, and pushed Mohammed al Shehhi to his regular position as a forward in place of Ahmed Khalil.

The Under 20 goalkeeper, Yousif Abdelrahman, was handed his first international cap, and, in doing so, Katanec had given every member of his squad of 23 an opportunity to play in the last three matches, including in last Thursday’s friendly with Manchester City.

Abdelrahman swung into action in the 14th minute when he blocked a powerful shot from Mustafa Karim from inside the box. He later collected a corner. But they turned out to be the only serious action around either goal as the game turned into a tussle in the midfield.

Katanec’s keenness to experiment did not work with the new-look midfield in the first half. Amer Mubarak, Amer Adbulrahman, Ali al Wehaibi and al Shehhi, were bereft of ideas and constantly lost possession, leaving the defence under pressure and the forwards without possession.

Katanec’s men made some late inroads, however, and Khalil’s header from a corner was just wide in added time.

It was Iraq who scored that all important goal, however. Midfielder Karim headed a bouncing ball over the charging goalkeeper Majed Naser in the 20th minute after a rare mistake from the defender Hamdan al Kamali, who failed to clear an overhead pass from Ali Hussein.

Iraq were the better team in the first 45 minutes. They had the majority of attacks and tested Naser in the 10th minute. The UAE stopper did well to smother Younis Mahmood’s shot from six yards. Salam Shaker’s header from a corner flew over the bar four minutes later.

Earlier yesterday in Al Ain, the Czech Republic were beaten 2-0 by Azerbaijan in the play-off for third place.

Vagif Javadov opened the scoring when he headed home a free kick from Elvin Mammadov in the 24th minute and the substitute Daniel Akhtyamov doubled the lead two minutes from time finding the back of the net from a corner by Javadov.

The friendly tournament was part of the UAE’s preparation for the 2011 Asian Cup qualifier against Malaysia, and Katanec’s men can confirm their place with a draw against Malaysia at home on January 6. The UAE trounced Malaysia 5-0 under the Frenchman Dominique Bathenay last January and their qualification seems to be a formality after the Uzbeks eased to a 3-1 win over the South East Asian nation yesterday to top group C with nine points from three games.

The UAE’s final game in the group stage is on March 3 against the Uzbeks, who were the winners 1-0 in the first meeting last January.



apassela@thenational.ae