UAE and AGL come to Rio 2016 agreement

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  • Olympic dream: UAE U-23 side.

    The club v country row which threatened the UAE’s Rio 2016 Olympic qualifying hopes has been calmed after a compromise was reached regarding player availability.

    The Whites are set to compete for their second-successive entry into the Games during the AFC U-23 Championship from January 12-30.

    But discord had developed between the UAE Football Association and 14 Arabian Gulf League clubs after coach Dr Abdullah Misfer initially requested his squad assemble on December 21, ruling all players out of a packed festive schedule.

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    A truce was confirmed on Sunday, with the players to be sent away for international duty in two separate blocks ahead of travelling to the tournament in Qatar on January 10.

    “The clubs were helpful and we need their help in this crucial stage of the competition to achieve more glory for the nation,” said team 
    director Badr Ahmed. 

    “Certainly, we aspire to repeat the achievement of reaching London 2012 and the friendly matches in preparation will determine the readiness of the team for the finals.”

    Only the two finalists and third-placed nation will secure entry into next summer’s event in Brazil. 

    The 27-man training squad, also revealed on Sunday, will first meet up for three days from December 21, this section ending with a friendly against Uzbekistan on December 23.

    They will then reconvene from December 27 to January 4. During this spell they will play Syria on December 29, China on January 1 and South Korea on January 4. 

    All matches will be played in Sharjah or Dubai. The roster chosen by Misfer will then be whittled down to a final 23-strong selection.

    Both Sharjah and Al Jazira have provided the most young stars, with five from each side.

    The squad will be skippered by Al Nasr No1 Ahmed Shambieh and also features full internationals such as talented young Al Jazira striker Ahmed Al Attas and Al Wahda forward Mohamed Al Akbari. 

    The UAE open Group D against Australia on January 14, with fixtures against Jordan on January 17 and Vietnam on January 20.

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