Newcastle, Australia: The UAE have the chance to upset an expectant host nation with a win against Australia in the semi-finals of the Asian Cup here on Tuesday — and coach Mahdi Ali believes they can do it.
It has already been a remarkable journey for the Whites, who beat reigning champions Japan in a penalty shootout last Friday to make the last four and cause one of the biggest shocks in the tournament’s recent past.
Ali had stated two years ago that claiming a place in the last-four of this competition was to be the team’s aim, and now that they have achieved that goal, he is determined they will not rest on their laurels.
There will be nobody more aware of the challenge they face when they come up against the Socceroos at the Newcastle Stadium than the Emirati boss but, with a full squad to choose from and confidence high after the Japan win, he has no reason to doubt his men.
“Winning the game [against Japan] was our first goal and we now have achieved our most important goal, which was to qualify to the semi-final,” he said. “Since we’ve reached the semi-final, we hope we reach the final as well.
“Winning against Japan, and the winner of the last Asian Cup, is a great thing. It will give the players more confidence and more motivation for the semi-final. Playing against Australia in Australia will also be a very tough game though.”
It will be the third Asian Cup semi-final the UAE have played in, with the last one coming nearly 20 years ago, when they played host to the tournament in 1996 and finished as runners-up.
But this Whites squad is surely something of a golden generation, with many of the players having come up through the national team’s age groups with Ali as their manager.
And, having seen much of the side mature under his stewardship, Ali is calling on them to dig deep for what is likely to be the biggest game of their careers to date.
“We are used to playing these tough games and I remember when we were with the national teams, the youth teams and the Olympics teams. We went through the same situations and we gained experience,” he said.
“Sometimes you have to play with your heart.”
Undoubtedly the UAE go into the game as clear underdogs — as they did against Japan. As such, many in Australia are wilfully unafraid of the Emiratis’ threat, as they expect victory both on Tuesday and in the final on Saturday.
And Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou on Monday urged his side to seize the chance to win the country’s ‘hearts and minds’.
Football has long been in the shadow of more established sports in Australia, but a first Asian Cup title for the Socceroos would give the sport a massive boost.
“I think people are extremely excited about the team,” Postecoglou said. “That’s part of the responsibility we carry in this tournament.
“We knew being the hosts that the spotlight would be on us in many respects. I think the rest of the world has seen the way we have embraced this tournament. It’s been fantastic.”
— The writer is a freelance journalist based in Australia
