The road to Riyadh has not been without diversion in recent months, with the strength of the UAE’s grip on their Gulf Cup crown an issue of conjecture and rumour.
The looming challenge for coach Mahdi Ali would have become real at around lunchtime yesterday when the travelling party of players, technical staff and diligent support staff checked into the Saudi Arabian capital’s Marriott hotel.
The Whites will all be hoping their stay extends until at least the night of the final on the 26th. Their abundance of talent makes it a distinct possibility the joyous celebrations experienced in Bahrain at the end of 2013 could bear repeat.
A target now rests on their backs, earned in victory against Iraq.
Pressure is a tricky concept to define, an intangible element that can strengthen some while crushing others. How well the squads cope with such expectation when the Whites begin their Group B campaign against Oman on Friday night is key for former caretaker boss Dr Abdulla Misifr.
“We are under pressure because we are the champions,” he said.
“When we went to Bahrain, our team was good but we went without pressure. This is difficult now as all the other teams will be targeting us. We will find a strong competition and if we start our first match with a good result then we are on our way to the next round.
“In the Gulf Cup tournament you cannot say there is an easy match as all the teams know each other. Oman know their strengths, and they are fighting to reach the semi-finals.”
On paper, the draw appears to have been a kind one after being separated from fellow regional heavyweights Qatar and hosts Saudi Arabia.
Group B will not be without its challenges. Iraq represent a mirror image of where the Whites were before the 2012 Olympics, a burgeoning side containing Al Dhafra loanee Humam Tariq and promising left-back Ali Adnan spurred on by revenge for defeat in the decider 12 months ago.
Injury has robbed Oman of key striker Imad Al Hosni though their experienced side deserves respect.
Kuwait also appear to be on the right path, the most decorated nation in Gulf Cup history spurred on by Montpellier trialist Aziz Mashaan.
A fortnight in the east of the Kingdom in Dammam has brought precious time for the UAE in a packed season to undertake detailed work, as well as a 3-2 victory against Lebanon that saw centre-forward Ahmed Khalil strike a hat-trick.
The need for such a spell was brought into sharp focus last month in the final official friendly against Uzbekistan, an experimental team embarrassingly thrashed 4-0 at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium.
A near full-strength squad containing the Middle East’s most foremost midfielder in Omar Abdulrahman, AFC Player of the Year 2014 nominee Ismail Ahmed and a heap of other established performers should do much better in Saudi Arabia. Nagging doubts have crept into the consciousness, however. The four fixtures preceding the Uzbek disaster were draws that featured just one goal scored.
– Omar set to face Oman in Gulf Cup opener
That they came against respected nations Norway, Lithuania, Paraguay and Australia seems to have gone by the wayside in the desire to see victory as the only benchmark.
Further complication has come from the close proximity to January’s Asian Cup. This remains the litmus test for this celebrated bunch that has travelled through the age groups under Ali’s paternal gaze, first sparking into life in London two summers ago.
UAE officials notably stay on message when discussing the Gulf Cup in relation to the tournament Down Under, insisting the desire to achieve in both is strong. Ali exhibited similar conviction in the aftermath of August’s draw.
“We are there to retain the crown and there’s no doubt about this,” he said. “We must live up to the expectations. Our focus is not on the AFC Asian Cup, Australia 2015.
“No, this is not true. We are going to Riyadh to defend our superiority and hopefully we will have enough luck to do so.”
It is now down to the players to ensure those words do not ring hollow.
