AL AIN // Mahdi Ali said he is confident his UAE side can overcome their sizeable injury list to achieve a positive result in Thursday’s crunch World Cup qualifier against Japan.
The national team, fourth in Group B at the halfway stage of the final phase of qualification for Russia 2018, host their second-placed rivals at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium without several key players.
Already missing midfielders Majed Hassan and Amer Abdulrahman, and Tariq Ahmed through suspension, Mahdi Ali must make late decisions on star striker Ahmed Khalil and defensive linchpin Ismail Ahmed.
It has not been the ideal preparation for what constitutes a key fixture in the UAE’s attempt to make a second World Cup appearance.
At present, they sit only one point behind Japan, whom they defeated in the group’s opening encounter last September, and then face Asian champions Australia in Sydney five days later.
“We are having some difficulties and we miss many players,” Mahdi Ali said. “In the UAE we have a limited number of players we can choose. But we are used to this situation. It is a part of football.
“We should not think about the injuries, but think about how we play this match, and how to win it.
“We will try our best and work hard to make a positive result.”
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Road to Russia
■ Talking points: What to keep an eye on in UAE v Japan
■ Vahid Halilhodzic: Japan keen to 'avoid bad refereeing'
■ Fixtures, results and more on the UAE's qualifying bid
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The pressure has increased on Mahdi Ali and his side since that shock 2-1 victory in Saitama six months ago.
They have since lost to Australia and Saudi Arabia – third and first in the standings, respectively – and know a poor return from the upcoming double-header would represent a serious blow to their chances of making the World Cup.
The top two teams in the group qualify automatically, while the third-placed side must then navigate a series of play-offs.
Asked how he and his players will cope with the strain of the next week, Mahdi Ali said: “We are thinking about this match at the moment. In football anything can happen, so you have to prepare for everything.
“What we think about is only how to do our best regardless of the result that comes,” he added. “But usually the result comes with hard work, so we think only to work hard and do our best on the pitch irrespective of what condition we have at the moment.
“In the end, this is football. One team will win. We always think about positive things, we don’t want to think about negative things.
“And I hope that thinking about the positive will make a good emotion and motivation for us.”
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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