Instead of turning up for the Whites in Tashkent, Saleh is carrying the hopes of his nation to reach the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1990. He is one of seven players who appeared in the AFC U23 Asian Cup Thailand 2020 who have since made the jump to become first team regulars.

A promising start in Buriram saw them top the group but a humiliating 5-1 defeat against Uzbekistan in the quarter-finals dashed their dreams, but for Saleh it was an experience that would have a profound impact on his future career.

“The AFC Asian Cup 2019 came just a bit too early in my career,” said Saleh, who made his international debut seven months later in a friendly against Sri Lanka and marked it with a goal in a 5-1 triumph.

“So, playing in the AFC U23 Asian Cup was the next big thing. An opportunity to prove my worthiness of selection to the first team. I thought we did very well, but in the end, it wasn’t to be. But I gained a lot of experience playing against opponents from across Asia.

“Many of us are here with the first team now, so that creates a sense of unity within the squad. It is an ambitious group and we all want to make a name for ourselves, as a team first and as individuals.”

Defenders Khalifa Al Hammadi and Mohammed Al Attas, midfielders Yahya Nader, Abdullah Ramadan and Tahnoon Al Zaabi (pictured above, left) and striker Yahya Al Ghassani alongside Saleh are all part of that U23 group, but Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s side is not short of experience either with pair Omar Abdulrahman and Ali Mabkhout boasting 178 caps between them.

The latter, the nation’s all-time top scorer, has lined up next to Saleh in a front two or front three in recent games, and there was a particularly memorable moment when Mabkhout set-up Saleh for a spectacular bicycle kick against Mauritania at the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021, but to the dismay of Saleh it was ruled out offside, but the moment still went viral on social media.

Three days earlier, Saleh had already enjoyed his moment in the limelight, scoring his first competitive UAE goal; a left-footed finish set up by his former Al Wasl teammate Caio Canedo in a 2-1 win against Syria in the same competition.

Back in Doha six months later, Saleh is hopeful his next goal will be much more important for a country that is hoping to reach a first FIFA World Cup in over three decades, their last appearance being 10 years before his birth.

“To reach the FIFA World Cup, that is the dream of every footballer, and we are not different. I may not have watched the UAE in Italy 1990, but of course we watched videos of those moments and to replicate them would be an incredible feeling.

“But for now, our full attention needs to be on the Australia game. We cannot get ahead of ourselves. Australia are a difficult opponent and unless we give our best and retain our focus from start to finish, we can’t win."

Arruabarrena’s men will have to do it without the services of key players like Saleh’s club teammate Fabio Lima as well as Al Jazira playmaker Khalfan Mubarak (pictured above), both long term injuries, but Saleh believes the UAE have enough within their ranks to get over the challenge.

“Lima is one of the best players in the country, he is someone I watched and played alongside from day one, but as we have proven in previous games, we are capable of overcoming challenges and I know that every player selected to pull on the nation’s shirt will fight with their whole heart to make every Emirati football fan proud.”

Photos: AFP, AFC