(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) UAE coach Mahdi Ali hopes team will learn from the embarrassing defeat Ahmed Khalil Aljunaibi (11) of the UAE in action during the match against Uzbekistan. — KT photo by Nezar Balout
Abu Dhabi — UAE coach Mahdi Ali hit out at the lack of home support and also the packed domestic schedule after his team suffered one of their heaviest defeat in recent memory.
The tired-looking Whites were bested by Uzbekistan 4-0 in an international football friendly at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on Tuesday night. It was their first defeat at home in almost three years where they also surrendered a 11-game unbeaten home run. It was also the biggest under Mahdi Ali’s tenure.
The last time the UAE lost at home was against Korea in a World Cup Asia qualifier in November 2011. They had gone down to the Koreans 2-0.
This was the UAE’s second international friendly in five days and a virtually empty stadium welcomed the team on both occasions. They UAE had played against fellow AFC Asian Cup contenders Australia at the same venue last Friday and there were more Australian fans in the stands.
Ali said that they felt like strangers in their own backyard. “The whole team was not good today. They were not on the expected level. They have the League after three days. They are thinking about the League as well. There is a lot of pressure on them from their clubs. And when you come to the stadium you see that only five to six people are attending. You feel like you are a stranger in your own home. There is no support and there is no motivation for the players” Ali said.
“How can you play and see Australian fans are more than your fans” he asked.
A disappointed Ali wished that they play games outside rather than at home. “I’m really disappointed. And I wish I don’t play any game here in the UAE. I wish to play all the games outside because it is really disappointing” said Ali.
The 49-year-old admitted that the team was lacklustre on the night. “I think it was a good game for Uzbekistan. Tonight the team was not in good shape. Many players were out of their level. And we committed many mistakes tonight. We will try to correct all these things in the future. In the end it’s a friendly. We tried to give a chance to many players to see how they can perform in official games in the future” he said.
Ali looked at the positive side of the loss saying that a defeat will shake them out of a slumber. “Mistakes happened during this game. We have to forget it now. It is a friendly game and I think sometimes losing is good because it gives you a shock to wake up and see what you have done in the past so that you can correct yourself in the next game” Ali said.
And Ali said that they will have to make do with the available time that they have got to prepare for the defence of the Gulf Cup.
“I think this is the available time. We have 30 days. We have to adapt ourselves in these 30 days to prepare the team for the Gulf Cup” he said.
The UAE are slated to hold a camp from October 29 and they will also play two friendlies — on November 2 and 6 — during that period.
The Gulf Cup is in Saudi Arabia from November 13 to 26 with the UAE opening their Group B campaign with a fixture against Oman on November 14.
jameskhaleejtimes.com
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