15 MINUTES WITH: Walid Mohammad

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  • Low expectations were defied last week as the UAE’s unfancied players rebounded from November’s debacle on home soil to reach the final of the 2017 AFC Beach Soccer Championship and secure a return to next month’s World Cup in the Bahamas.

    Skipper Walid Mohammad played an inspirational role as he donned the Whites’ shirt once again.

    His team topped a tough group ahead of Japan, beat Lebanon on penalties in the semis, before Iran’s quality told in a 7-2 loss during Saturday’s showpiece.

    Mohammad, 32, spoke to Sport360 about the varied challenges faced to reach this point.

    What are your impressions of how the 2017 AFC Beach Soccer Championship went?

    We came here to win the AFC Championship. But there is a dream to be in the World Cup and this was a big target. This is what I wanted with this new generation, who have beaten previous and current world champions Russia and Portugal in recent years.

    I trust them as we came here to take the AFC trophy. We had a very difficult group, as Japan are one of the strongest teams in the world. The semi-final against Lebanon showed the personality of our team.

    I don’t want to say we were exhausted for the final, but the Iran players were still in a good condition. We lost concentration in the first three minutes.

    The UAE finished second bottom in November’s Dubai Intercontinental Cup. What has changed in the intervening months?

    This is a very difficult question. The players in Dubai were demotivated, and I think it is more about how to control and motivate people. We have become like one family since.

    We have a new coach [Mohamed Abbas, who replaced Guga after Dubai] who was a player and I am back as captain, which I was very glad about. We got back and we now have many different players compared to Dubai.

    The experienced players came back with a new spirit, allied with a younger generation. When this comes together, it makes a big difference. This wasn’t there in the Intercontinental Cup. This time, we were playing for the World Cup. Sometimes you don’t have a lot of tools, but you can succeed with a strong heart.

    Recently, we have had a lot of motivation from the president [Marwan bin Ghalita] of the UAE Football Association, who has been calling us every day. All these things weren’t there in the Intercontinental Cup.

    What is the situation like for club sides in the UAE?

    Now, we have some weak points in beach soccer as we only have two clubs – Al Ahli and Al Nasr. I was playing at Al Wasl and moved to Nasr. We don’t have a league and I think this AFC tournament is very, very important as we want to bring beach soccer back to life in the UAE.

    What happens next for the UAE team before the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, from April 27-May 7 in the Bahamas?

    We will have a few days’ rest now and begin officially preparing for the World Cup on Sunday. We are not professional players and we all have special leave to represent the country. We need to work very hard for this World Cup.

    The UAE have been drawn against Portugal, Paraguay and Panama in Group C. What do you make of that?

    I think all the teams have a 25-percent chance. The World Cup is different. Portugal are the reigning champions, but we have beaten them in the past. You cannot forecast any result in beach soccer.

    Panama kicked out the United States in qualifying, Paraguay have our ex-coach in Guga, so that will be a good surprise to play him.

    What are the UAE’s targets at their fifth World Cup?

    We have never qualified to the quarter-finals, so this is our big target. Then, I believe we can trust in ourselves to make the semis.

    Can you describe yourself as a player?

    Actually, I have been playing everywhere. I play as a defender, striker or even on the wing. I was an extra striker against Lebanon, and also played at the back. I started playing for the UAE in 2011 and have been in and out since.

    What is your job away from beach soccer?

    I work in human resource management, helping to recruit people. Most of my team-mates are in the army or Dubai Police. Only two or three of us are administrators. Normally, sports guys don’t like to sit in an office.

    Why do you love beach soccer?

    If we were to play Brazil in normal soccer, 99.9 per cent we would lose. But in this, no. We beat world champions Portugal 4-1 in 2015. Our rulers in Dubai want us to be No1. And with beach soccer, you can have this target in your life.

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