The UAE risk a critical 2018 World Cup qualifying mistake if they don’t put “in the past” their previous thrashing of Malaysia, according to boss Mahdi Ali.
The Whites round off their latest AFC second-round commitments today with a trip to struggling Malaysia. The last time the sides met in September, a 10-0 dismantling was recorded which saw the end of Dollah Salleh’s reign.
A scrap for a similar result is a necessity at Shah Alam Stadium for Ali’s second-placed side to stand a chance of progression to the following stage by either toppling Group A leaders Saudi Arabia – who play Timor-Leste this morning in Dili – next year or finishing as one of the four-best runners-up.
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“All the players are ready for the match and there are no absences,” the 50-year-old said.
“This game is important because it will determine our chances of qualifying for the next round. We do not think it is the first game where we beat Malaysia 10-0 at home – it is in the past.
“We don’t think about past results. For me, football is simple – the team who fight hardest on the field will get the result.
“We are well prepared and we’ll go for a win. I am happy to be playing, and all of us hope for a good game for both teams.
“I am happy to come to Malaysia for a second time this year, as it was in June when we confronted Timor-Leste on the same pitch at Shah Alam Stadium. This time, we play against the owners of the land.”
This afternoon’s hosts have endured a tumultuous campaign. Their humiliation in Abu Dhabi saw Salleh leave his post and fans riot at the next qualifier against Saudi Arabia, leading to a stadium ban from FIFA.
“I hoped that this match would be attended by an audience,” bemoaned Ali.
“We have always wanted to play in front of an audience because if played without fans, it does not seem like a football game.
“So, I assume this is not an advantage for our team.”
Datuk Ong Kim Swee was brought in as interim coach during the summer. An initial feel-good factor from his appointment ended last week when third-placed Palestine inflicted a brutal 6-0 defeat.
His side are out of the qualification race in second bottom, a position which crucially means the UAE’s result will count in the formula for the runners-up standings.
Swee will have to face Al Ain superstar Omar Abdulrahman – who crafted six assists in the previous meeting – after he was banned in Thursday’s 8-0 beating of Timor-Leste and he declared he has a plan to contain him.
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Swee said: “After a couple of bad results, we hope to reclaim the team in the final match of 2015 with a better performance.
“UAE defeated Timor-Leste 8-0 last week without Omar Abdulrahman. But now Omar is back, we should not fear him but supervise him as necessary.”
The Timor-Leste triumph stopped some of the negativity which had swirled around the Whites since last month’s dismal 2-1 defeat against Saudi Arabia. Ali believed the long and successful path he had taken with this squad from the youth set-up insulated them from such distractions.
He said: “Throughout my career, we have been through many difficult circumstances. Each one earned us a lot of experience in overcoming the odds and the ability to take responsibility at any stage.
“We are used to playing more strongly. I reiterate my confidence in the players and their ability to cope with the pressures and work to achieve the desired objective.”
