UAE Under-23 defender Hussain Abbas Juma believes his teammates showed their character as they overcame China 2-0 in their practice game. Yousif Saeed and Ahmed Al-Attas bagged the goals as the UAE built on their 3-0 victory over North Korea last week.
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While that game did not pose many problems for Dr Abullah Misfer’s side, they encountered a more difficult test against the Chinese. And Juma was pleased by his team’s spirit for what the Nasr defender described as a “very difficult” game.
“I think we played a very good game tonight,” said the 22-year-old. “Yes we didn’t get off to a great start but we gradually built and showed our potential. The players really had to show their character and the result is very important.
“We now have this winning mentality and that’s important before going into the AFC tournament.
“The team is improving but this game was very difficult compared to what we experienced against North Korea. At times we weren’t at our best and China created some chances. Our defence did well but then we kept the ball and found our composure.
“The players will gain a lot more confidence from this result. I feel that’s crucial as confidence in the team is important and I can see our spirit is getting stronger. If we stay focused we will do very well.”
South Korea stand in UAE’s way of a third straight win on Monday, before Misfer finalises his squad for the AFC Championship later this month.
