The UAE Football Association has officially gone to war with its two leading stars after Omar Abdulrahman and Ali Mabkhout received four-match club bans – subject to appeal – for being found guilty of breaking curfew the night before January’s grim Gulf Cup-final defeat to Oman.
It was announced on Sunday that 2016 AFC Player of the Year Abdulrahman, 26, and 2015 Asian Cup top scorer Mabkhout, 27, illegally exited the team’s hotel in Kuwait City from 20:15-22:30 on January 4 prior to an awful penalty-shootout defeat against a nation ranked 28 places below them by FIFA. They were joined by 27-year-old Al Jazira utility-man Mohammed Fawzi – who was injured at the time of the incident.
A probe was launched into the Whites’ dismal showing at the tournament – in which they scored once in six games under new Italian coach Alberto Zaccheroni – from January 8-18, with these acts of ill-discipline the centre point. The players in question were all interviewed, with the findings and evidence sent to the governing body’s Disciplinary Committee who confirmed the punishments on Tuesday.
Alongside the domestic suspensions for Al Ain’s Abdulrahman and Jazira’s Mabkhout, they were given written warnings and Dh50,000 fines. Fawzi was just warned and received a Dh40,000 fine as he was unavailable for the match in question.
Serious rifts risk being opened with these key figures, in a team tasked to reach the final next January on home soil at the 2019 Asian Cup. The UAE are provisionally scheduled to next play a friendly against Thailand, in March.
In the immediate aftermath of UAE FA president Marwan bin Ghalita’s announcement on Sunday, the trio all tweeted defences.
Al Ain playmaker ‘Amoory’ posted that he would “defend my rights and use all legal means against anyone who tried to distort my reputation”.
بن غليطة : تم تحويل اللاعبين الثلاثة وهم النجوم ؛ علي مبخوت، وعمر عبد الرحمن، ومحمد فوزي، الى لجنة الإنضباط لاتخاذ الإجراء اللازم حسب اللوائح المعتمدة. pic.twitter.com/6YtG9mvgZr
— UAEFA (@uaefa_ae) January 21, 2018
Jazira striker Mabkhout stated “our performances on the pitch is the most-authentic testimony, it will not be stained by rumours and intimidation”, while Fawzi wrote “we will not allow anyone to discredit the local players”.
Abdulrahman will miss AGL games for the leader against Shabab Al Ahli Dubai Club, Ajman and Emirates Club. He will also sit out February 16’s Arabian Gulf Cup quarter-final decider at Al Wahda.
For Mabkhout, he’ll be missing top-flight matches against Dibba Al Fujairah, Al Nasr, Al Dhafra and Al Wasl for the struggling holders.
