UAE boss Mahdi Ali has ominously declared there is even better to come from his charges after they began the third-and-final round of World Cup 2018 qualifying with a spectacular 2-1 come-from-behind victory at heavyweights Japan.
Al Ahli striker and reigning AFC Asian Player of the Year Ahmed Khalil stood out among a team of heroes, his expertly-taken set-piece double providing a dream start to a daunting opening in Group B which continues with Tuesday’s visit of Asian Cup-holders Australia.
The result was extra special as it was both obtained at at a sold-out – and partisan – Saitama Stadium 2002 and came after AC Milan forward Keisuke Honda had headed the five-time successive tournament entrants into an 11th-minute lead.
The ‘Golden Generation’ are chasing the nation’s second-ever qualification and first since Italia ‘90. But with more than three-quarters of winning sides in the opening games of the deciding stage since then making at least the contest to enter the inter-confederation playoff, the early signs are positives that a long-predicted berth in Russia can be achieved.
“I think it’s a wonderful thing to start the third round with a win away against one of the best teams in Asia, which Japan are,” a proud Ali commented. “I’m very happy with the result and hope that it gives us more confidence.
“But in the end, this is just one game and the first step out of 10.
“We knew that the Japanese team would press us at home, but the players did everything that I asked for. It shows with the two goals we scored that the team has the personality needed and this was not only a game against Japan, but there were also other issues including jet lag and I hope the next match will be even better.”
Oh, Ahmed Khalil...pic.twitter.com/kEqh5qtkom
— Sport360° (@Sport360) September 1, 2016
A stooping Honda nodded in Sevilla playmaker Hiroshi Kiyotake’s free-kick to give the hosts the perfect start.
Yet the Whites refused to be daunted and Khalil superbly drove in a 25-yard dead ball of his own to level soon after Borussia Dortmund star Shinji Kagawa then tripped Ahli flyer Ism-ail Al Hammadi on 54 minutes to see a penalty-kick awarded.
Khalil – in an effort reminiscient of Omar Abdulrahman’s during the UAE’s celebrated quarter-final shootout triumph at the 2015 Asian Cup against the same opponents – majestically chipping in his 13th goal in nine 2018 qualification clashes.
Defiant Al Ain centre-backs Ismail Ahmed and Mohanad Salem then came to the fore as the Samurai Blue were, somehow, kept out.
Leicester City forward Shinji Okazaki struck the crossbar and a formal protest has been lodged after goalkeeper Khalid Essa appeared to claw out substitute Takuma Asano’s shot from behind the line.
“We are very disappointed form the bottom of our hearts – in regards to the result and we have to accept it,” Japan boss Vahid Halilhodzic said.
“Our opponents showed a better performance tonight and the one-on-one duels we needed to win more. They were better organised and we knew how they would play, but the two or three players on the UAE team were on a very-high level and they were great players and I have to accept that.”
Imminent opponents Australia had a more-sedate start, goals from Massimo Luongo and Tomi Juric seeing off Iraq 2-0 in Perth.
Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou expected a steeper test at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium next week.
He said: “It’s not a surprise to us [UAE beating Japan]. I said at the draw, we’ve got the tougher group, for sure. They’re [UAE] a good side. Our staff and our coaches have been analysing them for a while. So, we know what to expect.”
The top two from each group who emerge from the round-robin format will automatically qualify for Russia. Both third-placed sides will then meet to decide who enters the inter-confederation play-off against a CONCACAF nation.
