The Whites were beaten by Saudi Arabia at the half-way point of the previous stage, meaning they suffered the strain of playing catch-up.
Eventually their fears were assuaged as they nailed down progress as one of four best group runners-up.
But for 113-times-capped Matar, memories of this pressure will ensure the battle-hardened squad is full of hunger to pursue a second-ever entry into the planet’s most-prestigious event.
“The most important thing is that we qualified for the third round,” said the 33-year-old, prior to the ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “I think it is good that we didn’t have it easy, as that can make you upset when you go through some processes you don’t want to. It is good to qualify for the next round and also, we have experience and we will learn from our mistakes. We have time to prepare ourselves, as in the next qualification round there will be no easy games.
“It is 12 games and all the teams are better than you or at the same level. We have to prepare ourselves well for that round.”
Asia’s premier sides are seeded into six pots by FIFA ranking, with the UAE in the fourth band as Asia’s seventh highest. Two groups of six will then emerge.
Competitive action is set to take place from September 1, 2016 to September 5, 2017. The top two from each pool will automatically proceed to Russia 2018, with both third-placed sides facing off to make the intercontinental play-off against a CONCACAF entrant.
Al Wahda maestro Matar made a return to coach Mahdi Ali’s selection for the first time in more than a year for last month’s deciding second-round clashes against Palestine and the Saudis.
His place in UAE folklore has long been guaranteed. He was player of the tournament in 2007 as the Whites lifted their first-ever trophy with that year’s Gulf Cup, also going on to feature as the tournament was claimed again three years ago. If coach Mahdi Ali was to guide his country to Russia 2018, Matar would be 35 by the time competitive action got under way. When asked whether he could continue playing until then, he remained hopeful about featuring.
Matar replied: “I do not know. As a player, this is the only tournament in which I never played.
“I played all the others. I wish I could be there. But the most important thing for me is the UAE flag.”
The ceremony at at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel comes two days before Arabian Gulf League-pacesetters Al Ahli and Al Ain face off in a title showdown. For Red Knights midfielder Habib Fardan, domestic issues remain prominent for now.
He said: “Of course, everybody will be waiting for the draw. But now, we are focusing on our clubs.”
