The UAE national team extended their winning run to 13 games with a 2-0 win over Laos in China on Saturday.
Second half goals from Ali Mabkhout and Salam Saleh were enough to give the UAE a comfortable victory and preserve their fine unbeaten record.
With a crucial Asian Cup 2015 qualifier with Hong Kong just around the corner, Mahdi Ali is warming his players up against minnows Laos and Malaysia.
On Saturday night, the Whites maintained their world-best record of 13 straight wins – including games won after normal time – as well as remaining perfect throughout 2013.
With that winning run containing successful tests in tournaments like the Gulf Cup and OSN Cup, the UAE’s latest win isn’t likely to go down as one of the most important or impressive.
Laos, who sit in the 172nd spot in the FIFA rankings, were no match for the confident Emiratis but their dominance was slow to show itself.
Ali had said before the team’s three game stretch that he would be trying various teams and combinations and the UAE very much looked like a team that wasn’t completely sure of its place.
The UAE welcomed back Al Wahda duo Ismael Matar and Ismael Al Kamali to the starting lineup after the duo had lost their places in the squad over recent months due to injury and poor form.
Star man Omar Abdulrahman was left out of the starting XI with Haboush Saleh in his place while new Al Ain ‘keeper Rashid Essa took the No1 jersey from former Al Jazira teammate Ali Khaseif.
While Laos struggled to get a look in, the UAE failed to punish the minnows until the second half when Ali made a number of changes.
Substitute Salem Salah of Al Wahda broke the deadlock after 65 minutes before fellow replacement Mabkhout netted 11 minutes from time – his 11th goal in just 12 games for his country.
The UAE come up against Malaysia on October 9 in another friendly game before taking on Hong Kong six days later in the Asian Cup qualifiers.
In Group E of the Asian qualifiers, the Whites sit top after successive wins over Vietnam and Uzbekistan, two points clear of next rivals Hong Kong.
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