The hard work starts right now

For most sides not heading to the World Cup, summer is a chance to relax and unwind after a hectic season. Not so for the UAE.

Amer Abdulrahman, left, and Subait Khater in training in Austria yesterday.

With six World Cup-bound teams sharing the pitches around them in Austria, the UAE must certainly be reflecting on their own missed opportunity, especially since two of those sides - North and South Korea - were in the same group as the Whites in the final round of Asian qualifying.

Cameroon, Poland and Spain are also using the Alpine nation as a base to get ready for the battles ahead in South Africa, which begin on June 11. England were also there until last weekend, with their contingent of fans and media. The UAE players can only imagine what the atmosphere must be like in those international camps, and perhaps that is why Srecko Katanec, the manager, decided to gather his men together only a few days after the end of the domestic season.

The team's next official assignments will be in the Gulf Cup in Yemen and the Asian Games in China, which are both in November, and the Asian Cup follows from January 7, with the Emirates drawn in the same group as Iraq, the holders, Iran and North Korea for the continental championship in Qatar. Katanec, of course, would like to start his preparations early for these championships. But, more importantly, he probably wanted to give his players a sense of what they are missing - the buzz and celebration of being among the world's 32 elite nations.

A few days after returning to the UAE on June 6, the players will link up with their clubs for pre-season training camps and friendly games. The 2010/11 Pro League season will commence in early August and, in November, the national team will be split into two sides - one competing in the Asian Games, in Guangzhou from November 12, and a second for the Gulf Cup from November 22. Mohammed Khalfan al Rumaithi, the president of the Football Association, revealed on Monday that a team of reserves would be sent to China, so that the UAE's first-choice players can give their all at the Gulf Cup, a tournament they won in 2007.

Then in December, the likes of Ismail Matar and Mohammed al Shehi will be competing against champion sides at the Club World Cup, where Al Wahda will fly the host nation's flag. A few days later, Katanec will assemble his side for their final preparations ahead of the Asian Cup in Qatar. On their return, players will be back in the grind for domestic honours and the AFC Champions League, which starts in February.

A few players have already expressed their concerns about the congested calendar, with Matar hoping the Gulf Cup can be rescheduled. "The players will not be at their best - mentally, physically and technically - given the timing of the Gulf Cup," he said before leaving for Austria. "It will be really difficult for us with so many competitions. The league starts early this year, and then we will have the Gulf Cup and Club World Cup, followed by the Asian Cup and Champions League. Fatigue will certainly be an issue and the pressure could adversely affect the performance of the players in these events."

The challenge for Katanec will, therefore, be to keep his players fresh and motivated for the bigger challenges. The nation's football chiefs have little doubt he can manage that, given his record with lesser-known sides. The former Yugoslavia international's most notable achievement was guiding Slovenia to the 2000 European Championships and the 2002 World Cup. Katanec's record, since he took over the reins of a demoralised side after their 2010 World Cup qualification debacle - in which they failed to win a game in the final qualifying group - should add to the confidence of UAE fans. In eight games, the side have lost just once and his team have beaten a young Czech Republic team, Uzbekistan and Manchester City, the English Premier League side.

The integration of young players - talented and high on confidence after their show at reaching the quarter-finals of the Under 20 World Cup in Egypt last year - has helped Katanec's cause. But he has cast his net wide as well, taking a chance on players such as Saeed al Kathiri, Wahda's exciting striker. For the Austria camp, he has given Fawzi Fayez, the Al Ain defender and Sultan Ghaferi, the Baniyas midfielder, both 22, their first taste of the national team. Katanec will be needing the numbers when the squad is split for the Gulf Cup and Asian Games. And he will be hoping the sight of World Cup-bound sides will give his team the desire to succeed ahead of a hectic season. @Email:[e-mail]

Yousif Abdulrahman, Al Ain Goalkeeper Age 21 Impressed many at the Youth World Cup in Egypt last year. Blessed with a cool temperament and good technique, he will be integral to the UAE's success in the future Amer Abdulrahman, Baniyas Midfielder Age 20 World Soccer magazine picked Amer as one of the best five players at the Youth World Cup. Injuries since have hampered him, but he is one of the best talents in the country Sultan Bargash, Al Jazira Midfielder Age 21 Sultan is a bustling playmaker with a knack of scoring crucial goals. Used well by Abel Braga at Jazira and he has been growing in stature and confidence