UAE youngsters insist they are firmly focused on Vietnam task

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  • Ahmed Barman (l).

    Group D reaches its conclusion at Qatar’s Grand Hamad Stadium, with Dr Abdullah Misfer’s men needing to avoid defeat against the bottom-placed side to proceed.

    Playing already-eliminated opponents would seem the perfect scenario to continue on the path to the Rio 2016 Olympics. But Al Jazira’s Al Attas, 20, is wary a painful upset versus a team with nothing to lose.

    He said: “We must not forget that the opponent is playing without any pressure, having been subjected to a pair of losses to leave the tournament. We must deal seriously with the team, in order to achieve victory and win the three points.”

    After beating Australia 1-0 and a goalless stalemate with Jordan, the Whites know a draw would be enough to secure a last-eight clash against Iran or South Korea.

    Their hopes have been boosted by Dr Misfer’s return to the bench after illness saw him hospitalised during Sunday’s 0-0 draw. In his absence, they failed to turn control into chances.

    Al Wahda forward Mohamed Al Akbari, 19, promised to make up for this blunt display.

    He said: “We pressed the rival from the half-way line, and exerted our control, but we did not exploit the opportunities that we had. We have an opportunity to compensate during the meeting with Vietnam. We must have a strong willingness to play, as our competitors enters the match without pressure.”

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