Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Dubai: Hamed Al Kamali became the first United Arab Emirates (UAE) player to play in the UEFA Champions League after he made an eight-minute cameo appearance in the European competition on Tuesday.
The 21-year old defender was playing for Maltese champions Valletta when he established the record, the Al Wahda loanee coming on as a 85th minute substitute against Azerbaijan’s Qarabag in Baku in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League second round qualifiers which his side lost 4-0 on the night and 5-0 on aggregate.
His team Valletta, a record 20-time Malta league champions, were playing with nine men and had conceded four goals when Kamali entered the fray, with no further damage being inflicted after the Emirati defender’s introduction.
His club Valletta used its official Twitter account to congratulate the defender, saying; “Well done to all players who gave their 100%. #proud of you! Special mention to @halkamali, 1st UAE player to take part in @ChampionsLeague.
Kamali’s elder brother Faisal also lauded the unique achievement. “This is a big achievement for the UAE, for Al Wahda club and the player himself,” he was quoted as saying by the Gulf News.
“He played a great 10 minutes and cleared the ball off the line despite being 4-0 down and playing with nine men,” he added.
Hamed is the younger brother of Hamdan Al Kamali, who played in the AFC Asian Cup 2011 as well as several AFC Champions League matches with Al Wahda.