KUALA LUMPUR // Omar Abdulrahman disappeared down the Shah Alam Stadium tunnel briefly before returning to rapturous applause from the smattering of fans bellowing his name.
He smiled and basked in the acclaim; he even posed for selfies.
The UAE playmaker is used to being the centre of attention and again this was fully deserved, for he had hauled his national team to victory just as their 2018 World Cup campaign threatened to begin with a blow.
Against East Timor, a side ranked 73 places below them by Fifa and whose home stadium is not deemed capable of hosting international matches, Abdulrahman’s teammates had laboured and they had lumbered.
In the end, they were liberated by a moment of magic 10 minutes from time.
Read more:
– UAE open 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign with battling win over East Timor
– Photo gallery: UAE squad go through their paces ahead of 2018 World Cup qualifier with East Timor
Accepting Abdelaziz Sanqour’s pass near the edge of the East Timor penalty area, Abdulrahman took one touch, turned and curled his shot high into the opposition goal.
The UAE had the breakthrough and, with it, opened Group A with a victory.
Just like at the 2012 Olympics, or the 2013 Gulf Cup, or the 2015 Asian Cup, Abdulrahman had conjured a key contribution.
To be fair, it was always going to be him; even on an uneven pitch and despite the oppressive Malaysian heat, he was the standout, despite little in the way of genuine competition.
The UAE were wasteful and weary, always in control of the tempo but never guaranteed to make their superiority count.
Photo gallery:
– UAE get past East Timor to win their first 2018 World Cup qualifier
Ismail Al Hammadi spurned perhaps their greatest opportunity, lifting his shot high above the East Timor crossbar.
But that arrived 12 minutes in. Thereafter, the UAE were limited to shots from distance.
Ramos Maxanches, the East Timor goalkeeper, was rarely truly troubled.
The lethargy that hampered the UAE in Thursday’s friendly defeat to South Korea, though, would not prove just as damaging five days on, since East Timor possess neither the ability nor the artistry to sustain a challenge, although they did create a couple of chances.
So it was left to Abdulrahman to step up, which will no doubt be a common theme on what promises to be an exhausting road to Russia.
With Saudi Arabia, Palestine and Malaysia also in their group, and another round of qualification potentially to come, the UAE can expect plenty more obstacles.
Afterwards, there was a sense they were simply happy to get off the mark.
An exacting domestic season has only recently concluded, one punctuated with the November Gulf Cup and then January’s Asian Cup.
That much was evident as the UAE toiled throughout their initial test.
But right on cue, Abdulrahman came through when his national team needed it most. He scored the goal and secured the points.
Little wonder the small group of fans chanted his name as he disappeared down the tunnel. “Amoury, Amoury, Amoury,” they sang, waving their flags and twirling their scarves.
It was late, but Mission to Moscow has been officially launched.
jmcauley@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter at NatSportUAE