UAE Football Association (UAEFA) president Yousuf Alserkal says the country’s impressive showing at the Olympic Games is proof that Mahdi Ali is the right man to lead the senior national team.
Mahdi, 47, is set to be officially announced as the successor to caretaker Dr. Abdulla Misfer on a three-year deal later this week after masterminding the Whites’ journey to a first ever Olympics showing at London 2012.
Despite failing to win a game in their group – losing narrowly to both Uruguay and Team GB before drawing with Senegal – the UAE won a legion of admirers throughout the tournanent with their slick brand of attacking football.
And it’s for that reason, Alserkal admits, that Mahdi, who was previously in charge of UAE’s under-19 and under-20 sides before taking up the under-23 Olympic team post in 2010, has been entrusted with giding the senior team through to the Asian Cup in 2015.
“To be realistic, it’s our believe that the general impression was positive,” Alserkal said of the UAE’s performances in London.
“The boys did well in the three games which they have played. Many international coaches have praised the UAE players and that’s why we have decided to go ahead with the same technical staff.”
Mahdi’s close working relationship with key stars of the country’s golden generation, Omar and Amer Abuldrahman, Hamdan Al Kamal and Ahmed Khalil all of whom shone during the Olympics, also worked in his favour.
Mahdi was in charge of the same players when they won the 2008 AFC U-19 Championship, the AGCC U-23 Cup in 2010, before finishing runners up to Japan in the Asian Games later that year.
And he is now tasked with continuing that success with the full national squad with those very same players once again providing the backbone to his team. “We are determined to restore the glory days of the UAE’s football,” added Alserkal.
“And although we dream big, we are equally realistic. We need to go close during the first two years as front runners for the titles at the Asian level while keeping eye on qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.”
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