Abdulla Al Naqbi has lofty aims of breaking into the UAE squad this season and hopes a successful campaign with Al Dhafra will make that a reality.
The all-action midfielder enjoyed a fine 2015/16 Arabian Gulf League season with the Western Knights, who ended the campaign in superb form to counteract a dismal opening in which they lost seven of their first 11 games.
They tasted defeat just three times in their next 15 matches, including eight wins, to finish a credible eighth.
Al Naqbi is desperate for Dhafra to pick up from where they left off, as he bids to join the likes of
Whites superstars Omar Abdulra-hman and Ali Mabkhout in coach Mahdi Ali’s senior ranks.
“It’s very important that everyone has ambitions for the national team,” said the frizzy-haired 23-year-old, who would love a chance to break into the national side and help them become just the second UAE side to qualify for a World Cup – emulating the Italia ‘90 generation.
“I want to fight to be in the national team. I would like to get one chance to be there with them. I think I can fight with them to be in Russia 2018.”
Al Naqbi enjoyed his best season with the club from Abu Dhabi’s Western Region last year.
He played 21 AGL games and scored his first Dhafra goal. He has six UAE Under-23 caps to his name and featured in all four games at January’s AFC U-23 Championship in Qatar, where the Whites exited to Iraq in the quarter-finals.