03/11/2017 SHARJAH VS EMIRATES AL JAZIRA VS SHABAB ALAHLI 04/11/2017 AL DHAFRA VS AJMAN AL WAHDA VS AL AIN
UAE Beach Soccer National Team Beats Paraguay 5 – 4 Preparation for Huawei Intercontinental Beach Soccer Cup Dubai 2017 UAE Beach Soccer National Team achieved deserved victory over Paraguay 5 – 4 in its second friendly staged in preparation for Huawei Intercontinental Beach Soccer Cup Dubai 2017 which will be hosted in Dubai from 31st October to 4th November 2017. UAE has appeared in a different spirit and style than in its first friendly game lost to Russia 2 – 6, where it took the initiative to score the 1st goal at an earlier stage of the 1st half. A few minutes later Paraguay was able to equalize the score, but UAE returned to score the 2nd goal before the end of the same half. Paraguay has succeeded once again to equalize the score at the beginning of the 2nd half. The pursuit has continued in this manner till the end of match which was concluded with a 5 – 4 win to UAE. The tournament draw which was conducted this month earlier, has seeded UAE in the 1st group besides Brazil, Portugal and Egypt, while the 2nd group includes Mexico, Iran, Paraguay and Russia. This tournament which features 8 national teams is organized by Dubai Sports Council in cooperation with UAE FA and Beach Soccer Worldwide. The group stage will be played in league format, where the champion and runners-up will qualify to the semi-final which will be played in knockout format. UAE will face Portugal on 31st October 2017, Egypt on 1st November 2017 and concluded the group stage with its match versus the former champion Brazil on 3 November 2017.
Drulović: Our Eyes on the Lead and Our Players Are in Peak Condition UAE FA President, Marwan bin Ghalita and Hassan Al Qawadi, UAE FA Board Member have arrived in Bishkek to support UAE U-19 National Team which will commence its participation in the qualifiers in the game to be played tomorrow versus Oman. AFC has held the technical meeting at Kyrgyzstan Football Federation Premise to highlights the rules of the competition and allocating jersey colors for participating teams. In tomorrow match, UAE will be in white while Oman will wear the red. The LOC has also held a press conference during which UAE Head Coach, Drulović had made speech on the readiness of UAE players and the equal opportunities of contest for all teams. He pointed out “UAE players will enter the contest putting the lead in their minds and this requires a lot of concentration and efforts to achieve the desired goal of qualifying to the finals”. “The competition constitutes the first challenge for me in Asia and I wish to leave good memories in Bishkek before shifting to AFC U-19 Championship 2018, thence to FIFA U-20 World Cup”, he added.
OMAN 1 - 5 UAE UAE faced little resistance as they cruised to a 5-1 win over Oman, racing to a 2-0 lead by the 20th minute. Their opening goal was obtained from the penalty spot with Ali Saleh Amro slotting home from 12 yards. Seven minutes later, UAE doubled their lead thanks to Ahmad Fawzi finding the target. Oman tried to fight back and narrowed the deficit in the 28th minute as Mohammed Ibrahim Al Alawi's scorching shot settled in the back of the net. UAE, however, continued to dictate terms and their two-goal lead was restored in the 37th minute by Majid Rashid Almehrzi. The second half saw more of the same with UAE controlling play and Oman struggling to find a breakthrough. An error by Oman goalkeeper Yousuf Al Sheyadi in the 78th minute allowed Fawzi to score his second of the match. Hassan Al Hammadi wrapped up proceedings for UAE two minutes from time as UAE took a firm grip on top spot in the group. Ljubinko Drulvic: UAE head coach "I think it was very good game for us. We opened very well with two goals. The team of Oman is a good team and it was not easy for us to play with them. However, I am very satisfied with my team because they worked very well." Rasheed Jabar Al-Yafai: Oman head coach "You cannot win games if you make silly mistakes. We made so many mistakes so that we gave three goals in the first 30 minutes. It was difficult for us to gather. There should be less mistakes to play high level games and to have a chance to win. We gave in too easily in the first 20 minutes of the first half but we scored once. However, after the third goal of the UAE team, the game was already killed. In the second half of the game, the mistake of our goalkeeper destroyed the game for us. Now, we have think about our next game against Kyrgyz Republic."
UAE U-19 National Team Outreaches Nepal and Achieves Crucial Win AFC U-19 Qualifiers: UAE U-19 National Team has achieved very important 1 – nil victory over Nepal to enhance to strengthen its lead with the end the second round of the Asian Qualifiers currently taking place in Kyrgyzstan. The team played the game with the same lineup of the former match which included Suahail Abdulla (goalkeeping), Abdulrahman Saleh, Said Al Swaidi, Fahad Mohamed, Majid Rashid, Omar Saeed, Ali Saleh, Khalid Mohamed, Khalfan Hasan and Ahmed Fauzi. The White took full control of the 1st half which ended in goalless draw. However, in the 2nd half the team led constant attacks until minute 70 to succeed in scoring a goal by the player Khalfan Hasan Al Noobi. With this win, the team increased its score to 6 points to share the lead of the group with Nepal. So the 3rd round will witness fierce contest between UAE and host, but anyhow UAE is looking forward to continue its positive score.
UAE CRUISE PAST KYRGYZ REPUBLIC; BAHRAIN, OMAN SHARE POINTS Bishkek: UAE reached the summit after beating Kyrgyz Republic 4-1 in their AFC U-19 Championship 2018 Qualifiers Group A tie at the Dolen Omurzakov Stadium on Monday. Khaled Alblooshi gave UAE the lead after seven minutes through a counter attacking move with Ahmad Fawzi providing the assist. In another slick counter-attacking move Alblooshi doubled UAE’s lead after evading defenders to score in the 25th minute. Kyrgyz Republic, however, pulled one back three minutes from half-time. Dastan Karypbekov’s strike from 30 metres flew past the UAE goalkeeper Salem Khairi Muftah to put the score at 2-1. Kyrgyz Republic, who needed a win to keep their hopes of qualifying for the Finals alive, started the second half with intent as they drove with purpose up the field. But they could not find a breakthrough past UAE’s stout defence, who absorbed 20 minutes of pressure before biting back. UAE scored their third and fourth goals in quick succession through Khalfan Hassan Al Hamadi in the 67thminute and Rashed Mubarak a minute later to win 4-1. In another Group A tie, Bahrain's late show against Oman rescued a point with a stoppage time strike by Mohamed Waleed Althawadi. The first half saw a 0-0 scoreline with neither team able to break the deadlock, while the second period almost mirrored the first. However, in the 82nd minute, Mohammed Obaid Al-Qaidi found a way past Bahrain goalkeeper Ammar Mohamed Abbas Jaafar Ahmed to give them a 1-0 lead as Oman was closing in on victory. Mohamed Waleed Althawadi spoiled Oman's party with a strike deep into added-on time to earn them a point.
Win for Kalba Union and Baniyas, and Draw for Al Dhaid and Khorfakan Inaugural Round of 1st Division League November 3rd, 2017: Kalba Union achieved a 1 – nil victory over RAK in the inaugural round of 1st Division League, Baniyas defeated Dibba Al Hassin with same score, while Al Dhaid match versus Khorfakan was ended in 1 -1 draw. The 1st half of Kalba Union and RAK game was mediocre with slight attacking advantages for Kalba, so it was ended in a goalless draw. In the 2nd half the play was restricted in the midfield, until Tiago Silva succeeded Kalba only goal and ended the game with pale win. In the second game, Baniyas achieved a 1 – nil win over Dibba Al Hissin from an opposite goal from the opponent defender at minute 32. It was very aggressive game that witnessed 6 cautions for Baniyas players. The other game of this round between Al Dhaid and Khorfakan was ended in 1 – 1 draw. It was an equal game dominated by rival. Al Hamriya Wins Al Arabi, Al Fujairah and Masfout Draw with Al Orooba and Masafi Al Hamriya Takes the Leads of 1st Division League November 4th, 2017: The inaugural round of 1st Division League has concluded today evening, where Al Hamriya defeated Al Arabi 2 – nil, while both of the other two matches between Al Fujairah and Masfout, Al Orooba and Masafi were ended in 1 – 1 draw. In the first game which was hosted by Al Arabi, Al Hamriya was able to open the scoring at minute 6 by the player Kamal Shafni and add the second goal at minute 50 by the player Max Araujo. In the second game, although the host Al Fujairah has commenced the scoring at minute 25, but it did not defend properly paving the way for Al Orooba to equalize the score at minute 69 and grasp a precious point. The same scenario happened with Masfout in the last game of the round when he had been content with one point from its visitor Masafi. With these scores, Al Hamriya sits in the lead followed by Baniyas and Kalba Union all of them with three points, but the goal difference is in favor of Al Hamriya.
UAE THROUGH DESPITE DEFEAT TO BAHRAIN Nov 08 2017 Bishkek: United Arab Emirates took the automatic slot from Group A of the AFC U-19 Championship 2018 despite falling to a 1-0 defeat to Bahrain at the Dolen Omurzakov Stadium on Wednesday. UAE went into the match knowing they had already sealed their place in the Finals in Indonesia next October while Bahrain needed a win to pip Oman into second place in the group. It was a goalless first half but Bahrain played with 10 men after the 31st minute when defender Khalil Ibrahim Alblooshi was sent off for a second yellow card. Bahrain took control of the match in the second period and finally found the net in the 73rd minute, with Ali Hasan Meftah the goalscorer. The result, however, was not enough to secure second place despite accumulating seven points like Oman, who finished runners-up thanks to a better goal difference. Earlier, Oman beat Nepal 5-0 in their final Group A match. They opened their account in the 11th minute through captain Faisal Al Harthi via a brilliantly executed free-kick which gave Nepal goalkeeper Sojit no chance. Oman doubled their advantage when Arshad Said Al-Alawi scored after a one-on-one opportunity with Sojit in the 32nd minute. Al Harthi completed his double in first half added-on time, to put Oman 3-0 up at half-time. In the second half, Oman continued to dominate as they scored two more goals. Their goals came from Thamir Al Zaabi in the 58th minute and Arshad Al-Alawi scored just seconds later.
No luck for Zaccheroni as UAE lose to Haiti UAE meet Uzbekistan next in another friendly on Tuesday Al Ain: Italian Alberto Zaccheroni first match as in-charge of UAE ended on a disappointing note as his side suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Haiti in the international friendly at the Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium on Friday. The lone goal of the match came in the first half through an own goal by Mahoud Khamis. Lady luck was clearly not in the UAE’s side as not once but thrice their attempts found the framework. Haiti custodian Johny Placide also effected some brilliant save to leave the UAE dry. Haiti ranked 56th in the world comprised of tall and stocky players. They clearly superseded their hosts, ranked 72, in power play and kept winning the one-on-one battles. Finally the deadlock was broken in the 20th minute through an own goal after Haiti forwards did well to work the ball up. Duckens Nazon’s shot, after ricocheting off the vertical found UAE’s Mahmoud Khamis defender in its way and the deflection settled into the goal with ease. Thereafter, the UAE pressed hard to get the equaliser and both Ahmad Al Hashmi and star mid-fielder Omar Abdul Rahman tested the Haiti goalkeeper Placide with some long range efforts, but in vain. The visitors then held their defences tightly to go into breather with a one goal cushion. The UAE was far more purposeful after the change of ends. Ismail Ahmad came up with a fine header off a corner but only to see it find the top corner of the framework. Another long range effort, from a free-kick by Khamis Esmail, also found the horizontal in its way. Haiti also could have doubled the lead as Nazon and Kevin Pierre Lafrance had the UAE custodian Ali Khaseif at their mercy after playing a fine give and take. Lafrance, though had an open goal in front, delayed his shot and eventually allowed a defender to block his effort. Then in the 59th minute, another effort, this time from Omar Abdul Rahman found the bottom of the vertical. In the 63rd minute, two back-to-back efforts from Jassim Yaqoob and Omar Abdul Rahman were brilliantly blocked by an agile Placide. With the UAE pressing for the equaliser, there were opening for Haiti to exploit — especially on the counters. In the 70th minute, Jimmy-Shammar Sanon made a fine run from the left flank and unleased a power-packed left-footer but Ali Khaseif stuck out his foot in time to block it. The UAE kept up the pressure till the end but Haiti remained rock solid in their defence and played out the remaining time to seal the win. The UAE play their second international friendly on Tuesday against Uzbekistan at the same venue.
Alberto Zacherroni gets first win as UAE manager as Ali Mabkhout strike sinks Uzbekistan UAE 1 - 0 UZBEKISTAN Alberto Zaccheroni savoured his first win as the UAE manager after Ali Mabkhout struck the only goal of the game in a 1-0 result over Uzbekistan in the international friendly in Al Ain on Tuesday. The Jazira forward timed his run well to collect a pass from Mahmoud Khamis and then round the Uzbekistan goalkeeper Ignatiy Nesterov to finish with left-footed effort in the 15th minute. The victory at the at the Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium came four days after the UAE had lost 1-0 to Haiti, and Zaccheroni said he was pleased with how his new side had reacted. “It’s only my second match,” said the Italian. “I told my players to play as a team, and to give 100 per cent on the pitch and come out with a good performance as always.
Which UAE team should you support? But that’s not enough, let us tell you a little more about the clubs and what you’ll get in return for a lifetime of loyalty… THE GUARANTEED GLORY – Shabab Al Ahli, Al Ain On recent history, there are just two teams to follow if you’re looking for AGL and continental glory, an annual confetti shower and the right results more often than not. Shabab Al Ahli and Al Ain are the two behemoths of UAE football. They boast the best local talent, generally spend heavily on bringing prime foreign players to the country and between them they have won the last five league titles. Yes the rest of the league is improving and looking to catch up, but Shabab Al Ahli and Al Ain don’t look like relinquishing their places at the top table any time soon. Another bonus is that both sides are sponsored by Nike and their kits readily available in stores. A BIT LIKE SUPPORTING: Chelsea or Manchester United THE SLEEPING GIANTS – Al Wasl, Sharjah It may be far-fetched to think they will awaken in your lifetime but you can harp on about past successes and ‘the good old days’. Only Al Ain [12] have won more league trophies than Wasl [seven], who have as many as Al Ahli and are a notch above Sharjah’s five. Wasl are famed for the time Diego Maradona took charge of the club and in recent years they have shown signs of improvement and stability; the previous regime’s history of sacking managers and overturning players with alarming regularity was notorious. As for Sharjah, they remain a work in progress but if you live in Dubai’s northern neighbour out that way and are looking for some regular football to take in then why look elsewhere? A BIT LIKE SUPPORTING: Arsenal or Liverpool THE CONTROVERSIAL ENTERTAINERS Al Nasr, Al Jazira, Al Wahda Okay, so you may be consistently let down by moments of daring promise being immediately followed by dire performances and bizarre decision making, but hey there will never be a dull moment. Nasr were summed up perfectly by the clinical, yet somewhat manic Ibrahima Toure [handstands and all], and looked like genuine domestic and Asian challengers this year until they undid it all with the botched attempt at passing new Brazilian striker Wanderley off as possessing an Indonesian passport. But Jazira are the true men of madness. Never short of a few quid, they will churn out big names and will score goals at will. Unfortunately, they will also ship as many, if not more, making their matches highly entertaining but equally frustrating for their fans. As for Wahda, we dare you not to fall in love with Sebastian Tagbliabue and you have a club legend laying in waiting for you to adore. Wahda consistently vie for second, third and fourth and you never know, one of these days they may just put a season together that sees them upset the establishment. A BIT LIKE SUPPORTING: Everton, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur THE UNDERDOGS Bani Yas, Dibba Al Fujairah, Al Dhafra, Ajman If all that success, past or present, just isn’t your cup of tea and the idea of turning over the big boys is far more appealing then look no further than this trio. Times will be tough but along the course of the season there are some serious highs that will punctuate those all too common lows. Dibba surprised everyone last year, something Ajman will be looking to replicate this time round, while Dhafra should generally have enough about them to remain in the top tier. After all, life doesn’t always smell of roses. A BIT LIKE SUPPORTING: Newcastle, Sunderland THE YO-YOS Ittihad Kalba, Emirates Club, Hatta, Fujairah Yeah, relegation is a real possibility, but you know your team has it cut out to bounce right back. You probably don’t like all the riches and prima donnas that litter modern football anyway and in the First Division there are plenty of chances to expand your knowledge of the league. This is proper, backs-against-the-wall stuff and you are likely to tear your hair out at times. But next season, you’ll sweep all before you and get a crucial 12 months of respite in the process as you prepare to be put through the mill once again. A BIT LIKE SUPPORTING: Hull City, Burnley