His second-string Whites departed the 2016 King’s Cup on Sunday with defeats from both matches, winger Mahmoud Al Mawas’ tap-in earning Syria a tight win at a sodden Rangamangala National Stadium in Bangkok.
The loss of the third-place play-off will provide far less consternation than the sparsity of viable alternatives which have emerged for the resumption of World Cup 2018 qualifying in September.
Ali’s men again faced opponents who had selected far more regulars than themselves. Narrow defeats, to follow Friday’s 3-1 reversal to Jordan, come laced with excuses under such circumstances.
Yet bar a mixture of the sublime and ridiculous which saw on-song Al Nasr striker Salem Saleh twice go close in the first-half, precious little else was created. Another shaky performance from recalled former captain Hamdan Al Kamali also added to a sense of unease, with the centre-back easily outpaced in the build-up to the only goal.
Thankfully for Ali, Bani Yas midfielder Fawaz Awana enjoyed a promising debut and Al Jazira playmaker Khalfan Mubarak lit up successive matches from the substitutes’ bench. The aerial work of Nasr goalkeeper Ahmed Shambieh has improved immeasurably, with the slick conditions causing no alarm when previously there would have been plenty.
It will be intriguing to see who is deemed to have impressed enough to join the usual core of senior internationals for the month-long training camp in Spain which begins in mid-July.
The humid weather in Thailand snapped upon kick-off, with summer rain lashing down. Saleh will try to claim the heavy conditions played a part in his air shot in front of an open goal after an excellent run from Awana teed him up.
His confidence was obviously not bruised by the incident, a pair of sublime turns on 33 minutes sending him clear only for Al Wahda Damascus goalkeeper to pull off a fine low save.
The breakthrough for newly-appointed Ayman Hakeem’s men – who are in the opposite pool to the UAE during the third-and-final round of qualifying for Russia 2018 – came shortly after the break.
Midfielder Osama Omari’s cutting ball sent Hamid Mido past the flailing Al Kamali, his mishit attempt on goal being forced home by Al Riffa wide man Al Mawas.
