UAE national team consider North Korea friendly during China training

The Gulf Cup-winning UAE national football team has arrived in China for a six-day training camp ahead of their opening match of the 2015 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Mahdi Ali's side touched down in Guangzhou yesterday as they prepare for their first match against Vietnam on February 6.

The UAE coach, has picked the same 23-member squad that clinched the Gulf Cup in Bahrain, defeating Iraq in the final on January 18.

The team could play North Korea on Thursday in Guangzhou before they leave for Hanoi on February 4, but the friendly has not yet been confirmed.

The UAE have been drawn in Group E alongside Uzbekistan, Hong Kong and Vietnam, and the top two teams team from each of the six groups, along with the best third-placed team, will join the hosts Australia, the defending champions Japan, and the two Korea teams in the finals.

The next round of fixtures for Group E will be played on March 22, with the UAE hosting Uzbekistan.

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