Abu Dhabi: The UAE face Lebanon at 4 pm today at the Al Nahyan stadium in Al Wahda Club in the last match of the first round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The UAE has lost hopes of reaching the final stage of the qualifiers while Lebanon, the surprise package of Group B, will compete for the group leadership as they are tied with South Korea with 10 points each.
Kuwait has eight points while the UAE has lost all five matches in the group. South Korea will host Kuwait today in Seoul in a make-or-break tie.
UAE caretaker coach Dr Abdullah Misfir hopes to win today's match so that the players can forget the disappointment at losing to Kuwait in the opener of the qualifiers in Al Ain last year, under the guidance of Slovenian coach Srecko Katanec — who was later fired after losing against Lebanon in Beirut.
The UAE senior team will miss the services of many key players who are in the country's Olympic team, including Ahmad Khalil, Amer Abdul Rahman, Mohammad Ahmad, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammad Fawzi, Omar Abdul Rahman and others. But, Misfir has roped in a number of new players, such as Adil Abdullah, Eisa Obaid, Abdullah Qasim, Majid Hassan and Abdul Aziz Fayez, who have proved to be capable in covering for their absent colleagues.
The UAE will also miss custodian Majid Nasser and midfielder Esmail Al Hammadi because of a one-match suspension while defender Waleed Abbas and midfielder Mohammad Al Shehi are injured. The team's medical staff is trying to prepare Al Shehi for the match. Midfielder and captain Subait Khater will also not be available.
Players missing in action
"We miss a lot of important players but I believe those available can do the job honourably if they show their best," Ahmad Saeed, the team's administrator, told Gulf News.
The UAE are expected to be represented by: Ali Khaseef in goal, Yousuf Jaber, Bashir Saeed, Faris Juma and Eisa Ahmad in defence. Adil Abdullah, Yaqoob Al Housani, Abdullah Qasim and Adnan Hussain (Ali Al Waheebi) in midfield while Esmail Mattar and Eisa Obaid will feature in attack.