UAE name provisional squad for friendlies against Argentina and Kazakhstan in Abu Dhabi

Initial 36-man list announced for November 16 and 19 matches in capital

UAE coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena has named his provisional 36-man squad for the friendlies against Argentina and Kazakhstan AFP

UAE manager Rodolfo Arruabarrena has named his extended squad for the national team’s upcoming training camp in Abu Dhabi, which includes next week’s marquee friendly against Argentina.

The UAE will meet in the capital on Sunday for a week-long camp, where they face the World Cup favourites on November 16 and Kazakhstan three days later. The matches take place at the Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium and Al Nahyan Stadium, respectively. The Argentina friendly is sold out.

On Tuesday, Arruabarrena announced a provisional 36-man list, with Sharjah defender Shaheen Abdulrahman returning to the fold – the centre-back has been a notable absentee since last playing for the national team in February – and a number of young players also called up.

However, there was no place for Al Ain captain Bandar Al Ahbabi, or Al Wasl playmaker Omar Abdulrahman. Fabio De Lima, the Wasl forward who missed a large part of this year through injury – he was forced to sit out the World Cup 2022 playoffs in June – is once again in the squad as he continues his return to form with his club.

Some of the new faces included in Tuesday’s 36-man group include defenders Salem Sultan and Abdulsalam Mohammed, midfielders Hussein Medhi and Mohammed Abdulbasit, and forwards Ahmed Amer and Ahmed Fawzy.

The UAE, who last held a camp in Austria in September, are preparing for a busy first half to 2023. The national team begin the new year with the Arabian Gulf Cup in Iraq from January 6-19, where they have been drawn in Group B alongside Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.

In March and April, the UAE contest the West Asian Football Federation Championship on home soil, before the focus turns to the rescheduled Asian Cup. That tournament, confirmed last month to take place in Qatar, is expected to move from its original date next summer to the beginning of 2024.

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