Mahdi Ali’s experimental UAE side fail to get past Jordan

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  • Blocked: UAE’s Salem Saleh (c) tries to get past a couple of Jordanian defenders.

    You can either rise to the challenge or show you have no place in the 51-year-old’s plans when the serious business of World Cup 2018 qualification resumes in September. Al Jazira winger Sultan Al Shamsi and Al Shabab full-back Manei Mohamed found themselves on opposite ends of this spectrum yesterday as the experimental Whites side sent to Thailand for the 2016 King’s Cup began with a limp 3-1 defeat to Jordan.

    Bangkok’s deserted Rajamangala National Stadium was lit up by Al Shamsi’s thunderbolt which levelled the match on the stroke of half-time, and partly decided by the latter-mentioned’s inexcusably-slack backpass which caused them to fall behind again.

    In truth, the 26-year-old wasn’t alone in failing to grasp the mantle during a low-octane, end-of-season clash. Former captain Hamdan Al Kamali stained his recall by conceding a clumsy early penalty, while heralded Al Wahda team-mate Mohamed Al Akbari did not shine.

    They will be thankful a second chance to impress comes in tomorrow’s third-placed match against Syria, after they lost 7-6 on penalties following a 2-2 draw with the hosts. This means the UAE will avoid a clash with the nation who they will face in Group B on the road to Russia.

    Yet there were some indisputable positives to be taken away by Ali beyond Al Shamsi’s eye-catching debut. Pride of Abu Dhabi colleague Khalfan Mubarak wowed off the substitutes’ bench, Al Nasr centre midfielder Khalid Jalal was influential on and off the ball and club-mate Ahmed Shambieh is a maturing presence between the sticks.

    With their national boss continuing to reaffirm his desire to inject fresh blood into the squad, they will hold belief they can be on the plane to Japan for September 1’s daunting start to the third-and-final round in the Asian process. At the least, they should be in place for the month-long training camp in Spain which starts in mid-July.

    The UAE were up against it from the moment the teamsheets were produced, with Jordan selecting nine regulars in their starting XI. This was immediately reflected when Hatta new boy Yaseen Al Bakhit pinged in a hopeful cross which defender Al Kamali contrived to handle, centre midfielder Baha Abdelrahman then confidently stepping up to roll in the penalty.

    There was precious little fightback from the Whites, who dominated possession but looked suspect throughout on the counter-attack. A feeble Saleh header was their only attacking contribution before Al Shamsi picked up a loose ball thirty yards from goal, cut inside onto his favoured right peg and curled a 30-yard rocket into the top corner.

    All momentum was lost immediately after the restart. Mohamed’s appaling pass under minimal pressure in the corner was intercepted by grateful Kuwait SC striker Hamza Al Dardour, who slotted home his 21st international goal in 44  appearances.

    The victory and a place in tomorrow’s final was then secured from a short corner. Al Bakhit, again, provided the spark, bursting past Jalal to centre for Al Jazeera Amman defender Mohannad Khairullah to thrash home from close range.

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