Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Linz: The UAE’s AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015 hopes have received a major boost after influential midfielder Amer Abdulrahman returned to action following a length absence due to injury.
The Baniyas dynamo, who had been on the sidelines for ten months after damaging a knee, put in an impressive shift during his side’s 2-1 friendly defeat to Serie A side Udinese on Friday.
Abdulrahman’s display in Austria will provide a welcome lift for UAE head coach Mahdi Ali as he prepares his side for November’s Gulf Cup then the Asian Cup next January.
Ahmed Ali also shone as he made his first national team appearance since the 2012 Olympic Games, winning the free-kick from which Habib Fardin netted the UAE’s only goal of the game.
The Emiratis will now play Norway on August 27, before meeting Lithuania and Paraguay on September 3 and 7 respectively.
At the Asian Cup itself, the UAE have been drawn in Group C. They will open their campaign against Qatar on January 11, ahead of clashes against Bahrain and Iran.
Photo: AFP