UAE head coach Mahdi Ali is embracing the challenging draw given to his team as they prepare to begin their quest to retain the Gulf Cup crown.
Tuesday’s ceremony at Al Masak Palace in Riyadh pitted the Whites against the rivals they beat in last year’s semi-finals and final, Kuwait and Iraq, as well as Oman in Group B.
In Group A, hosts Saudi Arabia have been drawn to face Yemen, Bahrain and Qatar.
Ali, who led the UAE to their second Gulf Cup in January 2013 when they defeated Iraq 2-1 in the final, believes his side has been placed in the most difficult pool.
He said: “UAE is drawn in Group B which is tougher than Group A, but the chances are equal for the eight teams in their hunt for the title, particularly the previous winners of the prestigious trophy.
“UAE’s opening clash against Oman is not going to be easy at all and needs strong preparation. Hopefully, the UAE lads will show their best and maintain the bright image to the satisfaction of their faithful fans.”
The UAE face a difficult task to retain their title, facing 10-time champions Kuwait, last year’s beaten finalists Iraq and a rapidly-improving Oman that sit only four places below them at 69th in the FIFA rankings.
Ali’s men begin ramping up their preparations for the tournament today, with a 26-man squad meeting in Austria for a three-week training camp that will include friendly fixtures with Norway on August 27, Lithuania (September 3) and Paraguay (September 7).
The task of succeeding in Saudi Arabia has been made ever more tricky by juggling the demands of the impending 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Australia, where the UAE are tipped to make a big impression.
Ali revealed his desire to see the Gulf Cup start date shifted “in light of the commitments of the teams”.
“Our final preparations for the Gulf Cup will be concluded by the end of October while the campaign of the AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015 would be launched by the end of December,” the former Al Ahli midfielder said.
“I hope the Gulf Cup date would be reconsidered in light of the commitments of the teams.”
Despite the packed schedule ahead, the Whites will be fully focused on succeeding at the Gulf Cup according to UAE senior football team manager Mutrif Al Shamsi.
He said: “We are there to retain the crown and there’s no doubt about this. We must live up to the expectations.
“Our focus is not on the AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015. No, this is not true. We are going to Riyadh to defend our superiority and hopefully we will have enough luck to do so.”
