Influence from Arabian Gulf League clubs and poor attendance are key reasons for the UAE’s awful performance against Uzbekistan, according to coach Mahdi Ali.
The Whites flopped badly against their Asian opponents at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium last night, collapsing to a 4-0 defeat, the heaviest of Mahdi’s two-year reign.
The friendly came three days before the resumption of domestic top-flight football, with Mahdi bemoaning the effect of such tight scheduling.
“They [the players] have the league after three days, they are thinking about the league,” he said. “There is a lot of pressure on them from their clubs.
“If you see the stadium, there are only five or six people attending. You feel like a stranger at home. No support, there is no motivation for the player. How can you play at home and you see more Australians than your fans?
“It is really disappointing. I wish I don’t play any games in the UAE, I wish to play all the games outside.”
The UAE claimed a win and a draw against Uzbekistan in qualifying for January’s Asian Cup. There was little evidence of this record in Abu Dhabi, as a much-changed team dramatically sunk.
“I think it was a good game for Uzbekistan,” Mahdi said. “The team was not in good shape.
“Many of the players were out of their level. We made many mistakes. We will try in the future to correct these things. In the end, it was a friendly match. We tried to give a chance to so many players to see how they can perform for the official games in the future.”
A number of fringe players were thrust into the UAE side. Ali denied last night’s game would have a huge bearing on the squad he takes to Riyadh, insisting the result would provide “a shock to wake up”.
He said: “We have to forget the mistakes. It was a friendly game.
“Sometimes, losing is good. It gives you a shock to wake up and see what is happening. You can correct yourself in the next official games.”
The UAE reconvene on October 29 for a training camp ahead of their Gulf Cup bow against Oman. Two preparatory games will take place on November 2 and 6.
