United Arab Emirates Football Thread

Next matches:

29.8.:

UAE-Bahrain

UAE is in ACQ group with Uzbekistan,India and Malaysia.

UAE is in WCQ grouip with Iran,KSA,NK and SK.

League starts on 19.9.08 with following teams:

AHLI (CUP-WINNER)
WASL
WAHDA
NASR
JAZIRA
SHARJAH
SHABAB (CHAMPION)
SHAAB
AIN
DHAFRA
KHALEEJ (PROMOTED)
AJMAN (PROMOTED)

EMIRATE AND HATTA ARE RELEGATED

Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09

Club Ain signs contract with EL MAGO.

http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_167969064.html

Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09

Arabian Champions League

Al Shaab will fly the flag for UAE, opening up against Al Marreekh of Sudan, game to be played 27th October

Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09

International Friendly Result

UAE 2 - 3 Bahrain

Goals:

Adnan 12' (Bahrain)
Matar 35' (p) (UAE)
Saeed Al Shehhi 51' (UAE)
Adnan 75' (Bahrain)
Aldekeel 79' (Bahrain)

Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09

Super Cup (14th September)

Al Shabab - Al Ahli

League

Opening day fixtures (19th Sept)

Al-Khaleej - Al-Dhafra

Ajman - Al-Wasl

Al-Shabab - Al-Shaab

Al-Ain - Al-Sharjah

Al-Nasr - Al-Ahli

Al-Jazira - Al-Wehda

Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09

Syria NT coach Mohamad Kwid is now the coach of the club Dhafrah,too.

http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_167969469.html

Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09

Al Shaab are taking Morocco midfielder Merouane Zemmama from Scottish club Hibernian for a season long loan.

The player has a great future ahead of him and should light up the league, but due to personnel circumstances, he has gone to the UAE to be with his pregnant wife who is not allowed in the UK.

Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09

National Team

WC Qualifiers

6th Sept
UAE - North Korea (Mohamed Bin Zayid Stadium, Abu Dhabi)

10th Sept
UAE - Saudi Arabia (Mohamed Bin Zayid Stadium, Abu Dhabi)

Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09

World Cup Qualification Results and Stats

UAE 1:2 North Korea

Goal: Bashir Saeed 86'

Disipline
Yellow: ABDULLA MALALLAH (72')


Next Match - 10th Sept
UAE - Saudi Arabia (Mohamed Bin Zayid Stadium, Abu Dhabi)

Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09

Domestic League

September Fixtures

19.09.2008 Ajman Club - Al Wasl Dubai
19.09.2008 Al Ain - Sharjah
19.09.2008 Al Nasr Dubai - Ahli Dubai
19.09.2008 Al Shabab Dubai - Al Shaab Sharjah
19.09.2008 Jazira Abu Dhabi - Al Wehda Abu Dhabi
19.09.2008 Khaleej Khor Fakkan - Al Dhafra

25.09.2008 Ahli Dubai - Ajman Club
25.09.2008 Al Dhafra - Al Ain
25.09.2008 Al Shaab Sharjah - Al Nasr Dubai
25.09.2008 Al Wasl Dubai - Al Wehda Abu Dhabi
25.09.2008 Jazira Abu Dhabi - Khaleej Khor Fakkan
25.09.2008 Sharjah - Al Shabab Dubai

Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09

UAE Super Cup - 14th September

Al Shabab - Al Ahli

Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09

Does anyone know what time the Al Jazira v Al Wahda game is on?

Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09

Check this link from the Al Jazira official website: http://jc.ae/web2/index.php?goto=match

It states that the game will kick off at 9:30 and that the game is reversed, so it's Al Wahda V Al Jazira playing at Al Nahyan Stadium.

The fixtures i brought before are posted on another website www.goalzz.com, but i'm sure the official site of Al Jazira is more correct.

All other fixtures for the opening weeks do seem to be correct.

Al Jazira site (again click on the link above) has a good set of fixtures with dates and times of kick off for the first 3 weeks of the season.

Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09

Super Cup 2008:

Ahli-Shabab 1-0 aet

Ahli scored a penalty in second half of et.Shabab got a penalty 1 min before end,but didn´t score.Very interesting match.Watched it on Dubai Sports.

Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09

Domestic League - Round 1 Results

19.09.2008 Ajman Club 0 - 1 Al Wasl Dubai
19.09.2008 Al Ain 4 - 0 Sharjah
19.09.2008 Al Nasr Dubai 2 - 4 Ahli Dubai
19.09.2008 Al Shabab Dubai 2 - 0 Al Shaab Sharjah
19.09.2008 Jazira Abu Dhabi 1 - 1 Al Wehda Abu Dhabi
19.09.2008 Khaleej Khor Fakkan 1 - 3 Al Dhafra

Round 2 set of matches are set for 25th September

Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09

Cool.. just got back from Al Wahda-al Jazira. Not a bad game but kinda disapointing turnout for the Abu dhabi derby match. Might have something to do with the downturn fortunes of the home club in recent years.

Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09

Domestic League - Round 2 Results

25.09.2008 Ahli Dubai 2 - 0 Ajman Club
25.09.2008 Al Dhafra 0 - 0 Al Ain
25.09.2008 Al Shaab Sharjah 1 - 2 Al Nasr Dubai
25.09.2008 Al Wasl Dubai 2 - 4 Al Wehda Abu Dhabi
25.09.2008 Jazira Abu Dhabi 6 - 1 Khaleej Khor Fakkan
25.09.2008 Sharjah 4 - 2 Al Shabab Dubai


Some big results this week, the likes of Al Ain will be disapointed in only getting a draw. Last years champions Al Shabab Dubai will be very disapointed in getting stuffed 4-2.

Although, early in the season, the league winners will take part in the 2009 Club World Championship, to be held in UAE, so every point is valuable.

Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09

National Team - New Coach

DUBAI: France's Dominique Batheney, the assistant of previous United Arab Emirates coach Bruno Metsu who resigned, was named the new boss by the UAE football federation on Thursday.

Local press reports said Batheney had a one-year contract though the federation gave no indication in their statement, which said Batheney would "begin his post at the head of the national team on September 25".

Batheney's task will be to lead the team in qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa, the AFC Asian Cup finals in 2011 in Qatar, and the Gulf Cup, starting on January 14 in Muscat, Oman.

Metsu standing down after the UAE lost both of their opening matches in the final Asian qualifying round for the 2010 World Cup.

Batheney, who had temporarily taken charge of the UAE team in 2005 during the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, leads the team in an important World Cup qualifier in Korea Republic on October 15. In their build-up, they meet Japan on October 9 in a friendly.

http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_168132608.html

Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09

Domestic League Fixtures - October

04.10.2008 Ajman Club - Al Shaab Sharjah
04.10.2008 Al Nasr Dubai - Sharjah
04.10.2008 Al Shabab Dubai - Al Dhafra
04.10.2008 Al Wehda Abu Dhabi - Ahli Dubai
04.10.2008 Jazira Abu Dhabi - Al Wasl Dubai
04.10.2008 Khaleej Khor Fakkan - Al Ain

24.10.2008 Ahli Dubai - Jazira Abu Dhabi
24.10.2008 Al Ain - Al Shabab Dubai
24.10.2008 Al Dhafra - Al Nasr Dubai
24.10.2008 Al Shaab Sharjah - Al Wehda Abu Dhabi
24.10.2008 Al Wasl Dubai - Khaleej Khor Fakkan
24.10.2008 Sharjah - Ajman Club

Etisalat Emirates Cup 2008/09

3 Groups of 4
Group winners and best runner up qualify for semi finals

Group A:
Al Dhafra
Sharjah
Al Wehda Abu Dhabi
Al Shabab Dubai

Group B:
Al Wasl Dubai
Khaleej Khor Fakkan
Jazira Abu Dhabi
Al Shaab Sharjah

Group C:
Ajman Club
Al Nasr Dubai
Al Ain
Al Ahli Dubai

October Cup Fixtures:

10.10.2008 Al Shabab Dubai - Al Wehda Abu Dhabi
10.10.2008 Al Dhafra - Sharjah
10.10.2008 Al Shaab Sharjah - Al Wasl Dubai
10.10.2008 Khaleej Khor Fakkan - Jazira Abu Dhabi
10.10.2008 Al Ain - Ajman Club
10.10.2008 Al Nasr Dubai - Al Ahli Dubai

17.10.2008 Sharjah - Al Shabab Dubai
17.10.2008 Al Wehda Abu Dhabi - Al Dhafra
17.10.2008 Jazira Abu Dhabi - Al Shaab Sharjah
17.10.2008 Al Wasl Dubai - Khaleej Khor Fakkan
17.10.2008 Al Ahli Dubai - Al Ain
17.10.2008 Ajman Club - Al Nasr Dubai

Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09

Hi there

I am the editor of Robinho's official website (www.robinhoofficial.com). I am keen to speak to one or two football fans in the UAE, to talk about Manchester City and Robinho, and hear their views on the takeover by ADIG.

Is there increased interest in Manchester City?

What do you make of Robinho's arrival?

Will it help raise football's profile in UAE?

I'd be very pleased to hear from any of you with something to say about this.

You can contact me at db@fobazo.com if you would like to.

Best wishes,
Dan

Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09

Domestic League

Week 3 Results

04.10.2008 Ajman Club 2 - 1 Al Shaab Sharjah
04.10.2008 Al Nasr Dubai 2 - 3 Sharjah
04.10.2008 Al Shabab Dubai 1 - 0 Al Dhafra
04.10.2008 Al Wehda Abu Dhabi 4 - 1 Ahli Dubai
04.10.2008 Jazira Abu Dhabi 3 - 2 Al Wasl Dubai
04.10.2008 Khaleej Khor Fakkan 0 - 2 Al Ain

Al Jazira, Al Ain and AL Wahda tied at the top on 3 points. Khaleej and Al Shaab still waiting to pick up points.

League takes a break until 24th, cup matches start next Friday (10th)

Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09

Interesting article on the AFC website www.the-afc.com

Has the lack of quality playing time for UAE national team strikers in the local league blunted their sharpness in front of goal?
By R. Ravi Kumar

Consider this: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) scored seven goals in the third round of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign to progress to the final phase. Four of these goals were scored by Al Wahda pin-up Ismael Matar.

Incidentally, Al Wahda were one of two clubs hardly active in the bustling transfer market before the 2008-09 season opened which saw 10 UAE outfits jostling to sign 25 foreigners for the action ahead.

And of these, 17 are strikers, mostly Brazilians, while the rest are mid-fielders, in a clear indication of the clubs’ relentless pursuit of glory which saw them splash out to fill key limited positions in front of goal with big-name imports.

In fact, Al Jazeera (two), Sharjah (two) and Al Wasl (three) entered the market only to buy strikers.

This trend over the years has arguably led to an acute shortage of playing time for local talent, who form the vanguard of the national team, and is now translating into a drought of goals in crunch competitions.

Matar and Faisal Khalil of Al Ahli currently carry the striking burden for the UAE alongwith Ismael Al Hammadi (Al Ahli), Mohamed Al Shehhi (Al Wahda), Saif Mohamed (Al Ain) and Mohamed Ibrahim (Al Nasr).

But with Khalil’s national team form in a nosedive, successive coaches have been forced to stake their all on a 4-5-1 formation with Matar as the sole spearhead.

And it is indeed debatable if all of the strikers on the roster - save Matar and Khalil - get sufficient quality time in the middle with their respective clubs to keep them sharp, fit and creative for onerous national team duties.

Another telling statistic is that over the last five editions of the league, the number of UAE nationals figuring in the top-10 goalscorers’ chart has plummeted.

In 2004-05, there were three UAE nationals in the list and the number increased to four the next season. In 2006-07, there were just two players in the upper echeleons of the goal-scoring list and this dropped to just one - Khalil - last season, in a depressing pointer to the manner in which the national team’s striking options are being blunted.

Players who don’t figure prominently in the clubs’ domestic campaigns are routinely axed from the national team but new UAE coach Frenchman Dominique Bathenay, who took over recently from compatriot Bruno
Metsu, can hardly afford this approach due to the limited hitmen at his command.

The Frenchman, however, has made a tentative start by dropping Khalil, last season’s top scorer, from his squad for the next match against Korea Republic on October 15 and calling up Ahmed Mubarak instead.

The UAE media reported that the outgoing Metsu minced no words when informing the UAE FA of the lack of promise and quality in the local players after watching the first round of the league.

Seen in the light of Metsu’s remarks and the startling evidence at hand, the national team’s striking woes look set to continue until UAE nationals get more opportunities to hone their skills in domestic matches.

Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09

October Etisalat Cup Results:

Group A

10.10.2008 Al Shabab Dubai 3 - 3 Al Wehda Abu Dhabi
10.10.2008 Al Dhafra 1 - 1 Sharjah

Group B

10.10.2008 Al Shaab Sharjah 1 - 1 Al Wasl Dubai
10.10.2008 Khaleej Khor Fakkan 2 - 3 Jazira Abu Dhabi

Group C

10.10.2008 Al Ain 1 - 0 Ajman Club
10.10.2008 Al Nasr Dubai 2 - 0 Al Ahli Dubai

Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09

shouldn't Kumar writes about cricket instead?

Well, IMO their are few quality strikers in UAE but it was Metsu's choice not to play with any strikers the entire campaign. He played Khalil few games for the last one year and Mattar is a versatile player but he is a midfielder not a striker (can be a second striker or play best behind strikers)! I would raise a question mark on his players selection both up front and back but It should be positive for UAE that he is gone!

Re: United Arab Emirates Football Thread 2008/09

October Etisalat Cup Results:

2nd Matchday Results

Group A
17.10.2008 Sharjah 1 - 4 Al Shabab Dubai
17.10.2008 Al Wehda Abu Dhabi 1 - 0 Al Dhafra

Group B

17.10.2008 Jazira Abu Dhabi 5 - 0 Al Shaab Sharjah
17.10.2008 Al Wasl Dubai 3 - 3 Khaleej Khor Fakkan

Group C

17.10.2008 Al Ahli Dubai 1 - 1 Al Ain
17.10.2008 Ajman Club 1 - 0 Al Nasr Dubai