DUBAI // Mahdi Ali says the upcoming King’s Cup provides the perfect opportunity to assess potential graduates to the UAE squad for the final stage of 2018 World Cup qualification.
The national team manager has left his more prominent players at home for the three-day tournament in Thailand, which begins on Friday when the UAE face Jordan in Bangkok.
Instead, Mahdi Ali plans to evaluate his second-string side as he hopes to eventually promote players to the regular first-team squad. A 23-strong group, comprising a large contingent from the Under-23 Olympics team, travelled to Thailand on Monday.
See more from John McAuley on 2018 World Cup qualifying:
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• UAE FA president backs Mahdi Ali's men to rise to challenge of qualifying for 2018 World Cup
The UAE will play two matches – the tournament also features the hosts and Syria - before the full squad are involved next month in a training camp in Spain. The national team begin their Group B qualifying campaign for the World Cup away to Japan on September 1, before hosting Australia five days later.
Mahdi Ali said the need to inject fresh blood into that squad was significant, citing the King’s Cup as a welcome chance to run the rule over the next generation of players.
“It’s very important because it’s a good opportunity to see new players for the future and to prepare some players for that,” Mahdi Ali said. “We have to look for new players, for young players to complete the cycle for this age-group.
“Of course, when you have more selection it makes it easier, as it will be a good challenge for the players to force their way into the 23 for the World Cup squad. This will give them more motivation and more of a challenge to be in the group, while also for us it’s a good opportunity to select the best squad for the first team.”
No doubt seeking to impress in Thailand will be Salem Saleh, Al Nasr’s in-form striker, Al Wahda’s Mohammed Al Akberi, the 2015/16 Arabian Gulf League young player of the season, Al Ain’s Ahmed Barman and a clutch of Al Jazira youngsters, including playmaker Khalfan Mubarak. Wahda’s Hamdan Al Kamali, the former UAE captain, has been recalled to the squad.
“I’m sure that within one or two years there’ll be some of the young players in the World Cup squad and the first-team,” Mahdi Ali said. “But I’ll have to see in this tournament how they will improve and what they’ll do within the next year. But there are definitely two or three players who have a good future and will be in the squad.”
Asked about working alongside the Pro League Committee and its clubs this summer in adapting their schedules to fit the national team’s commitments, Mahdi Ali added: “We will study the clubs’ demands and deal with those by trying to find the best interests for all parties.
“The amazing group of players we have in the national team have maybe their last chance to play in the World Cup, and we have to fight for this opportunity and reach our ambitions to play in it.”
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