The UAE will take on Egypt in a high-profile friendly in the Emirates next month.
The match, slated for November 20, will be used as an important step in the national team’s preparations for the 2019 Asian Cup. As of yet, there has been no official confirmation regarding the venue, although the Football Association are expected to announce details later Wednesday.
The UAE have sights trained on January's Asian Cup, the continent’s premier event, taking place in the Emirates for only the second time. The match against Egypt will mark the conclusion to the national team’s next training camp – the fourth of five in the build-up to the tournament – and was given the go-ahead after the Egyptian FA had consulted with team manager Javier Aguirre.
Aguirre has strong connections to the UAE having managed Arabian Gulf League side Al Wahda for two years until May 2017. He is expected to introduce several new players for the friendly, although Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah could feature.
Egypt play Tunisia in a qualifier for the Africa Cup of Nations four days before the UAE friendly having already secured their place at the 2019 event. Hussein El Shahat, the Al Ain attacking midfielder, is one of 11 foreign-based players to have been named in Aguirre’s squad.
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