Rayan Yaslam is the future for UAE, while Alberto Zaccheroni still has much to prove

Rayan Yaslam

A regular spot at Al Ain was Yaslam’s distant dream little more than a year ago – never mind with his national team.

Fast forward to today and the 23-year-old is fast emerging as a key player for both club and country. Filling the creative role vacated by exiled compatriot Omar Abdulrahman, Yaslam was by far the Whites’ best player in Thailand.

During Thursday’s 2-1 loss to Slovakia, a 20-minute cameo provided club-mate Ahmed Khalil with two superb chances from which just one was converted.

Unleashed from the start in Sunday’s 1-0 third-place play-off loss to Gabon, a neat one-two with the same player should have earned a leveller.

Omar Abdulrahman and Ali Mabkhout

Reputations have been enhanced in absentia for the castigated star duo.

Don’t forget at the preceding Gulf Cup, the errant duo – who were, admittedly, carrying injuries – helped contribute to the team’s zero goals from open play in five miserly matches.

In just a pair of games in Bangkok, Khalil’s punishing low finish against Slovakia bettered this. The team also dominated both second halves without the duo, banished for breaking curfew before January 5’s showpiece loss to Oman.

But, the Whites remain diminished without them. Nations of their size cannot do without men like 2016 AFC Player of the Year Amoory and Mabkhout, the 2015 Asian Cup’s top scorer.

Mahmoud Khamis

Talk about grasping an opportunity.

Khamis, 30, was not even named in coach Alberto Zaccheroni’s original 24-man squad. Misery for others provided a fresh start to a player who did not play, although originally selected, at this winter’s Gulf Cup.

In contrast, the Al Nasr defender started both ties for his national side at the Rajamangala and looked comfortable in the Italian supremo’s five-man defence.

With Shabab Al Ahli Dubai Club’s Abdelaziz Sanqour conscripted, this wing-back berth remains open to others. One dreadful late free-kick aside versus the Slovaks, Khamis has put a decent case forward to make it his own.

LOSERS

UAE football fans

Entertainment has been in short supply for the Whites faithful.

In two major tournaments since Zaccheroni’s October appointment, two goals have been scored in 690 minutes of soporific action. And one of these was a penalty by Mabkhout in December 22’s opening group-stage win against Oman in Kuwait.

This follows on from the traumatic end of paternal coach Mahdi Ali’s four-and-a-half-year tenure last March, subsequent failure of the heralded ‘Golden Generation’ to make World Cup 2018 and Argentine tactician Edgardo Bauza’s instant defection to Saudi Arabia.

Zaccheroni is yet to craft a convincing case that better days lie ahead. It is natural to worry about what the Asian Cup holds.

Alberto Zaccheroni

Senior figures at the UAE Football Association have staked a lot on the ex-AC Milan, Juventus and Japan boss.

The recruitment process was taken away from the usual committees and centralised under vice-president Abdulla Al Junaibi. Recriminations from within have only increased in volume as results flatline.

After a porous third-and-final round of qualifying killed dreams of making Russia, Zaccheroni is prioritising adding ballast to the defence. Yet three goals were conceded in two matches in Bangkok.

It is nearly two decades since the 64-year-old lifted the Serie A title with Milan. He must quickly prove he’s not yesterday’s man.

Jassem Yaqoub

No chance was wasted by Zaccheroni to reiterate the King’s Cup was a learning experience for colts who can charge for a spot at the Asian Cup.

In Yaslam and fellow forward Mohamed Al Akbari, 22, of Al Wahda, they staked decent claims to perform useful roles in the Emirates next winter. A contemporary expected to join them was Nasr’s Jassem Yaqoub.

But the 21-year-old was only thrown on in the 87^th minute of the reversal to Gabon. This follows a 2017/18 Arabian Gulf League campaign that features just one goal in 14 run-outs.