Hamid Al Kamali could be a trailblazer for UAE football

On loan to the Malta-based Valletta, the UAE defender could become the first Emirati man to play in the Uefa Champions League, writes Ali Khaled.

Hamid Al Kamali, right, with Victor Sciriha, centre, and his agent Ridha Dardouri, left, the Malta-based Valletta FC chairman, says he has settled in. Courtesy of Hamid Al Kamali

For someone on the verge of becoming the first Emirati to play competitively in Europe, Hamid Al Kamali seems remarkably relaxed.

Al Kamali, 21, recently joined Maltese champions Valletta FC from Al Wahda in Abu Dhabi on a year’s loan, and on Tuesday night he could play in the Uefa Champions League.

So far, he seems to have taken the move to the Mediterranean island in his stride.

“I’ve been in Malta for one month now and I’ve settled in quickly,” he said. “We’ve already taken part in a friendly tournament of the Maltese league’s top four teams. I played in the last two matches and we won the competition. Now, of course, we have the second leg of the Champions League qualifier.”

The first leg, in Valletta on Wednesday, ended in a 1-0 defeat to FK Qarabag of Azerbaijan, with the Emirati defender watching from the substitute’s bench.

He is ready if called upon on Tuesday night.

“Our preparation has gone great for this match,” he said. “We’ve been at an intensive training camp for two days and all the players are in excellent shape and confident.”

The start of the season in Malta has coincided with the Holy Month of Ramadan and comes much earlier than he is used to back home, where the domestic campaign usually kicks off in late August or September.

“Of course, training and playing matches can be difficult and does leave you very tired,” he said. “Sometimes we have tough training sessions twice a day, but we are getting used to it and we continue to go for it as hard as we can.”

Al Kamali is also finding that he is in an environment that suits him, and at a club who are sensitive to his and other players’ needs.

“Starting in Ramadan has meant that training has been quite difficult,” he said. “Thankfully, there are other players who are fasting here and they have helped and encouraged me. Our coach also knows how difficult it can be for the Muslim players and has been very understanding to the situation.”

The Champions League second-round qualifying tie against Qarabag, so early in the season, has meant that Al Kamali and his teammates have needed to hit the ground running. The home leg did not go as planned, the 1-0 loss compounded by the dismissal of defender Ryan Camilleri with six minutes left.

Al Kamali watched as his teammates struggled to score an equaliser.

On Tuesday night, he could become the first player from the UAE to play in the Champions League.

“I think I have a big chance of playing and I’m ready,” he said. “I may not start the match but feel strongly that I will take part at some point.”

His brother, the UAE international Hamdan Al Kamali, joined French top-flight side Lyon on a six-month loan in 2012 but failed to make a first-team appearance. Now, the younger brother could make UAE history, instead.

He may be away from home for a sustained period of time for the first time in his career, but Al Kamali is at ease in Valletta, despite the absence of friends and relatives.

“I am the only Emirati here, but I’ve befriended a Tunisian player,” he said, referring to Abdelkarim Nafti, and said “that has definitely helped me settle”.

He added: “But my relationship with all the other players is excellent, too. They have been welcoming and I feel that everything is great here.

“I do keep in touch with friends and relatives. It’s easier these days. I stay in touch on a daily basis through Twitter and Instagram.”

Given that he is not yet a UAE international, Al Kamali was not the most obvious candidate to be the first Emirati to play in Europe, but he hopes to blaze a trail for other Emirati players, should his loan period at Valletta prove successful.

He said support from Wahda has been a major factor in his move.

“It’s been one month, and I feel very comfortable so far,” he said. “That is in big part thanks to the management and leadership of my club back home.

“They have given me a huge opportunity.

“I say to the other players that playing abroad is wonderful.”

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