East Timor driven by self-belief for 2018 World Cup qualifier against UAE

Beating Mongolia and drawing against Malaysia have lifted the team, says coach Fabio Magrao. John McAuley reports from Kuala Lumpur.

Patrick Fabiano's East Timor, left, drew 1-1 with Mohamad Fadhli's Malaysia in their 2018 World Cup qualifier in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. Mohammed Rasfan / AFP
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KUALA LUMPUR // Rodrigo Souza Silva said his East Timor side possess the conviction and courage to trouble the UAE in today’s World Cup qualifier in Malaysia.

The team from South East Asian island nation, are the lowest-ranked side in Group A, and are participating for the first time at this stage following their play-off win against Mongolia in March.

East Timor lie 146th in the Fifa standings, but they opened their second-round account on Thursday with a last-minute 1-1 draw against Malaysia at the Shah Alam Stadium. Silva is well aware of the threat posed by the UAE, since for the past six years he has played his club football in the Emirates.

One of six naturalised Brazilian-born players in the squad, the midfielder is a key contributor for coach Fabio Magrao, another Brazilian who also knows the UAE well having previously represented clubs in the country’s second tier.

“We realise the difficulty of the game because they have a lot of players with quality,” said Silva, the former playmaker with Al Shaab, Al Dhafra and Emirates club. “I know each one, as does the coach.

“But like you’ve seen at the Copa America, in football anything can happen. Even if the other team have more quality, if you fight and if you believe in yourself, you can achieve something. This is an example for us.

“That’s why I believe. If I didn’t, I’d say we have no chance, but from what I can see about this group, they have something inside. They have heart. I believe we can get a good result.”

Magrao warned the UAE that his East Timor team have taken significant confidence from recent results.

“I’m very proud of the players and what they’ve done for the country,” he said.

“I want that to continue. I can’t predict results, I can ask only one thing: to go on the pitch and give their best.

“Nobody here expected [last week’s] result. We know what we came to do and we did it, so we’re satisfied.

“Now we move focus to the UAE, which is another game and another challenge.”

jmcauley@thenational.ae

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