UAE beach soccer lads to the Bahamas Kuala Terengganu: The United Arab Emirates advanced to the AFC Beach Soccer Championship Malaysia 2017 final and booked a spot at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Bahamas 2017, after their 2-1 penalty shootout win over Lebanon following a 4-4 draw in Kuala Terengganu on Friday.
Al Nimr calls 23 Olympic players Dubai/ Saturday March 11, 2017: The UAE national head coach Abdulmajeed Al Nimr has called 23 players for the Olympic national team training camp from March 15 to 28 ahead of the international tourney to be hosted and staged by the FA from March 20 to 28. The players will exercise at the association’s premises. The players are: Mohammed Al Shamsi, Khalid Ebrahim, Abdulla Faisal, Ahmed Rashid, Ahmed Al Akbari, Mohammed Al Akbari, Mohammed Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Mohammed Al Attas, Ahmed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Jamal Al Hosani (Al Shaab), Mohammed Bu Sindah (Al Ain), Hamdan Nasser, Khalid Al Shehhi (Ittihad Kalba), Bilal Al Raisi, Omer Jumaa Rabie (Sharjah), Hassan Al Mahrami, Suhail Al Noubi (Bani Yas), Abdulla Al Noubi (Hatta), Adel Sabeel (Al Shabab), Khalid Bawazeer (Al Wasl), Saud Al Mehairi (Ajman), Jasim Yaqoob (Al Nasr), Saeed Jasim Saleh (Al Ahli).
13-03-2017 AL AHLI FC (UAE) - AL TAAWOUN FC (KSA) AL AHLI SAUDI FC (KSA) - AL AIN (UAE) 14-03-2017 AL WAHDA (UAE) - AL HILAL SFC (KSA) AL FATEH FC (KSA) - AL JAZIRA (UAE)
UAE lads prepare for Japan, Australia Dubai/ March 9, 2017: The UAE senior football national team boys are all-out to launch their preparations from Al Ain City on Wednesday ahead of their crucial ties against Japan on March 23, 2017 at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain City in the home and away format of the Group-B 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. UAE head coach Mahdi Ali has shortlisted 25 players. The players are: Majid Nasser, Abdul Aziz Haikal, Abdul Aziz Sanqoor, Waleed Abbas, Khamis Ismail, Habib Al Fardan, Ismail Al Hammadi, Ahmed kHalil (Al Ahli), Khaled Essa, Muhannad Salem Ismail Ahmed, Amer Abdul Rahman, Mohammed Abdul Rahman, Ahmed Barman, Omer Abdul Rahman (Al Ain), Ali Khesaif, Faris Jumaa, Mohammed Fawzi, Ali Mabkhout, Khalfan Mubarak (Al Jazira), Hamdan Al Kamali, Ismail Matar (Al Wahda), Tareq Ahmed, Salem Saleh (Al Nasr), Khamis Ebrahim (Al Shabab).
AFC U-23 CHAMPIONSHIP 2018 HOPEFULS LEARN THEIR OPPONENTS Kuala Lumpur: Forty AFC U-23 Championship China 2018 hopefuls discovered their qualifying opponents during the stage's official draw at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Friday. The ten group winners and five best second-placed teams among all the groups will advance to the finals. The qualifiers will take place from July 19 to 23, 2017 in the respective host countries which are Kyrgyz Republic, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Palestine, Myanmar, DPR Korea, Thailand and China PR. Although directly qualified as the finals host, China PR have expressed interest to participate in the qualifying stage. Therefore, if China PR finish top of their group or finish among the five best second-placed teams, the next (sixth) second-placed team will qualify to the final stage of the competition in January, 2018. UAE Group Group D D1. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (host) D2. UZBEKISTAN D3. LEBANON D4. NEPAL Fixtures for AFC U-23 Championship China 2018 Qualifiers Matchday One, July 19, 2017: Group D United Arab Emirates v Nepal Uzbekistan v Lebanon
UAE youngsters lose to Thailand counterparts Dubai – Monday March 20, 2017: The UAE Olympic national team lost the opener of their match in the U-23 international tourney 1-2 to Thai counterparts at the Dubai Police Officers’ Club Stadium here on Monday. The championship is organized by the Last Sport Company under the supervision of the UAEFA. Khalid Ba Wazeer struck for the UAE in the 77th minute as Stejik has leveled for Thailand in the 82nd minutes and Varshait added the winner two minutes later. The match was attended by HE Mrwan bin Ghalita, Chairman of the UAEFA, Rashid Al Zaabi, Dr. Khalifa Al Ghafli and Hisham Al Zarouni, members of the UAEFA board directors alongside Ibrahim Al Nimr, acting secretary general of the FA and Abdulqader Hassan, director of the national teams department.. Meanwhile, the UAE U-23 national team Abdulmajeed Al Nimr commented” “We have lost the result of the match in the dying minutes after taking command of the whole affair,: he said. “The players did very well and played a big game despite the short time of preparations which has preceded the international tourney. But, the positive thing is that we were able to touch some negative and positive parts that will be working on them. Our next game against Singapore is another good test and thereafter. In friendly matches, results do not matter too much because the most important aspect is to uncover mistakes,” he said.
Abdul Rahman to skip Japan clash The UAE head coach Mahdi Ali decided to do without midfielder Amir Abdul Rahman ahead of their crucial tie against Japan on Thursday. The awaited giants clash is part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Asian Zone. The brilliant defending midfielder has sustained a knee injury and is expected to by seen by the medical staff to assess his situation. “I wished I would be able to continue with my colleaguesz, but nobody can help it, it is the will of Allah and we have to accept it,” Abdul Rahman said. Abdul Rahman said he was planning to show the best of him noting that the boys are determined to claim the full points by beating Japan for the third straight time. “What I have seen during my stay with the players was very encouraging and I’m convinced that with the strong fighting spirit and determination, the players will delight the faithful fans,” he said.
FIFA World Cup Qualification AFC Final Group Stage Tuesday, March 28, - 05 Jan 2011: UAE 0-0 Australia International Friendly 10 Oct 2014: UAE 0-0 Australia International Friendly 27 Jan 2015: Australia 2-0 UAE AFC Asian Cup 06 Sep 2016: UAE 0-1 Australia FIFA World Cup 23 Mar 2017: Australia - UAE FIFA World Cup
UAE U23 4-0 Singapore U23 Dubai/ Saturday March 25, 2017: The UAE Olympic national team cruised to a sweeping 4-0 victory over Singaporean counterparts in the international tournament at the Dubai Police Officers’ Club Stadium here on Saturday. The one round league format competition is staged by ISAT SPORTS and supervised by the UAEFA during the period from March 20 to 28 with six sides in the fray. The teams are hosts UAE, Jordan, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Khaled Ba Wazeer struck twice for the UAE in the 6th and 75th minute, Ahmed Al Attas scored in the 82nd minute and Abdulla Al Noubi snatched the fourth goal in te 85th minute. Meanwhile, the Whites face the Jordanian test on Monday at 7:30pm at the same venue. However, UAE went 1-2 down fighting to Thailand in the opener.
UAE launch preparations for Australian challenge Sydney – Saturday March 25, 2017: The UAE senior football national team launched their preparations for their make-or-break clash against hosts Australia on Tuesday as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Russia. The boys have carried out their first training session under the supervision of the head coach Mahdi Ali and his assistants in Sydney. Meanwhile, 23 players took part in the workouts at the North Sydney Oval Stadium. They are: Abdul Aziz Sanqoor, Waleed Abbas, Khamis Ismail, Habib Al Fardan, Ismail Al Hammadi, Ahmed kHalil (Ahli), Khaled Essa, Muhannad Salem Ismail Ahmed, Mohammed Abdul Rahman, Ahmed Barman, Omer Abdul Rahman (Al Ain), Ali Khesaif, Faris Jumaa, Mohammed Fawzi, Ali Mabkhout, Khalfan Mubarak (Al Jazira), Hamdan Al Kamali, Ismail Matar (Al Wahda), Tareq Ahmed, Salem Saleh, Mahmoud Khamis (Al Nasr), Khamis Ebrahim (Al Shabab). Al Ahli keeper Majid Nasser was rested due to the demise of his uncle and will return to action later.
FIFA World Cup Qualification AFC Final Group Stage Tuesday, March 28, 2 - 0 Mahdi Ali confirmed he will step down after the defeat at the Sydney Football Stadium, which all but ended the UAE’s chances of reaching next year’s World Cup in Russia. "For me, I have spent around 13 years with the national team, and five years with the first team," he said. "We have had so many achievements with the team, we have worked very hard and I think this is the time for me to leave. Mahdi Ali was in charge when the UAE qualified for the Olympics for the first time, at London 2012. The same core of players saw the national team to Gulf Cup of Nations success in Bahrain the following year. They also reached the semi-finals of the Asian Cup in 2015, where they lost out, ironically, to the same scoreline to the same opponents – 2-0 against Australia in Newcastle.
The Arabian Gulf Cup Final between Al Ahli and Al Shabab kicks-off at 19:20 on Saturday, the 1st of April at Al Nasr Club's Al Maktoum Stadium. Fan zone activities start at 16:00 of the same day.