Just a couple of hours after United Arab Emirates left the pitch at Shah Alam Stadium following a comprehensive 3-0 defeat at the hands of South Korea on Friday, their first opponents in qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, minnows Timor Leste, were jubilant in their celebrations across town at the Bukit Jalil. Heading for defeat in their 2018 World Cup Qualifier against Malaysia, Ramon Sora nipped in front of the goalkeeper in the 93rd minute to head home an historic equaliser.
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That point means Timor Leste will be placed ahead of the UAE when the two sides meet in the same city on Tuesday. The West Asians are, of course, yet to take their first steps on the road to Russia but will be best advised to not underestimate their opponents from the opposite end of the continent.
Winning is no easy task when heading to Mongolia in mid-March, with falling snow and blustering wind not ideal conditions for a team from the tropics, and it proved a task too great for Malaysia last week. In what was only their third attempt at World Cup qualification, Timor Leste progressed to the group stage with ease, beating Mongolia 5-1 on aggregate thanks to a 4-1 victory at home and a 1-0 win away. The 1-1 draw in Kuala Lumpur made it three games unbeaten so far for a team with plenty of spirit and guts to make up for what they may lack in technical ability and tournament experience.
3rd placed #AC2015 @uaefa_ae are in Group A with @ksa_nft1, Palestine, Timor Leste and Malaysia. #Russia2018 #AC2019 pic.twitter.com/9fbqdDLYlV
— AFC Asian Cup (@afcasiancup) June 10, 2015
Tuesday’s game is the biggest game in the nation’s history – a competitive clash with one of the continent’s most developing nations who finished third at the Asian Cup, and whose brightest talent, such as Al Ain playmaker Omar Abdulrahman and Al Ahli hitman Ali Mabkhout, are attracting interest from European clubs. Timor Leste only managed independence from Indonesia in 2002 and as both a country and a footballing nation, they are playing catch-up. Timor Leste are hoping that they can bridge the footballing gap through naturalisation of its expat community.
This former colony of Portugal, with a population of just over one million, has turned to Portuguese and Brazilian players to that end. National team coach Fabio Magrao is Brazilian and assists in identifying talent that is able and willing to represent O Sol Nascente (The Rising Sun). Of the current squad of 21 players, eleven of the squad ply their trade overseas in countries such as Brazil, Portugal, Indonesia, Thailand and the UAE. Of the eleven that started against Malaysia, only four were actually born in Timor Leste.
REPORT: @uaefa_ae slump to tepid 3-0 South Korea defeat in World Cup qualifying warm-up http://t.co/TKZgBAZkYW pic.twitter.com/Rz5PYjKbbM
— Sport360° (@Sport360) June 11, 2015
The all-important goal came from the head of towering Brazil-born defender Sora.
“It was a great feeling the best in my international career,” said the 23 year-old who naturalised in 2012. “I never had any regrets about playing for Timor Leste. There is amazing passion for football in the country, everyone is behind us. These days, we think we can always have success in games. We are improving and playing against teams like Malaysia and UAE will help us to improve more. We are more confident in every game and we never give up. We fight until the very last second and we showed that. We will do the same against UAE too.”
According to the coach, naturalisation is not a quick fix, rather a necessary course of action if the national team are to progress with a limited structure to the sport in the country.
“It’s a long-term plan from the Timor Leste Football Federation to improve the national team because we are a developing country and even don’t have a national league,” added Magrao.
The policy is working, with Timor Leste enjoying the best run of form in their brief history to date. The team has been climbing up FIFA’s rankings and now stands above traditional southeast Asian rivals such as Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Midfielder Rodrigo Silva has been labelled the team’s ‘secret weapon’ and the 27-year-old is not so secret to UAE fans who have seen him week-in, week-out since arriving at AGL side Al Shaab back in 2012. A loan spell with Al Wahda preceded a move to Emirates Club where Silva has found his feet since joining ahead of the 2013-14 season. His local knowledge of Tuesday’s opposition will certainly come in handy, but the Brazil-born star hasn’t yet managed to find his club form for his adopted country. Given the fact that the team does not meet all that often, it is understandable.
While Silva will be the most recognizable figure on the pitch. Others may become familiar come the final whistle.
Anggisu Barbosa is only 22 but has been playing senior international football for seven years, scoring his first goal against Cambodia in 2008 when he was still five months shy of his 16th birthday. Only four players in the history of the game have scored a goal at a more tender age. Energetic and cultured, the midfielder has been attracting interest from European clubs and it was his inswinging free-kick that led to his country’s dramatic equaliser against Malaysia.
Along with Saro’s aerial threat, there is Jairo Neto. Another Brazilian-born squad member, the forward plays his club football in Oman. Six foot plus and with a good deal of experience in his home country, despite his tender age of 21, Neto is an uncompromising player. His aggression sums up this Timor Leste team though the UAE can be happy that star striker Murilo de Almeida, who plays his club football in Japan with Nagano Parceiro and has six goals in seven international games, is unavailable for the game.
Further concern for the UAE will be that all the pressure is on Mahdi Ali’s Whites to secure an expected victory. For Timor Leste there is no pressure.
Any kind of result against the UAE would be deemed a success and coach Magrao’s attitude when it comes to tactics can be just as pragmatic as his approach to passports.
“We know that UAE are a very good team with lots of good players but we are looking forward to the challenge. We are not expected to win but we have some good players too and we are improving all the time,” said Magrao.
The UAE will rightly be made favourites to open their campaign for a first World Cup since their only outing at Italia ’90 off to a winning start, but if they happen to be off their game then there is little chance Timor Leste will let them off the hook.
