Dubai: Coach Ali Ebrahim will be banking on a perfect start against India as the UAE seek to go one better than their 2010 silver medal as they brace for their Group G opener of the football competition at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games on Monday.
The UAE will start their campaign at the Hwaseong Sports Complex at 12 noon (UAE time) to kick-start their campaign in the Incheon Asian Games. Jordan is the third team in the group.
Expectations have been high among UAE football fans after the country’s silver medal four years back where they defeated Kuwait and both the Koreas on their way to the final where they lost by a solitary second half goal to Japan.
Among the other favourites for the gold medal this time are four-time winners Iran along with defending champions Japan – who have been grouped with Kuwait, Iraq and Nepal.
“I doubt there is too much concern at this stage,” coach Ebrahim was quoted in the UAE Football Association [UAE FA] website.
“We’ve had a smooth build-up to this competition and the players have a strong desire to excel while being committed to achieve a higher position at these Games,” the coach added.
Though the football tournament is meant for Under-23 players, each team is allowed to field three over-age players.
The Indian team has prepared with a camp in Bengaluru from July 1 followed by exposure tours to the Czech Republic and China and two friendly matches against Pakistan last month. India has beaten the UAE on just a couple of occasions during their 10 meetings so far – a 2-0 win in the 1981 Merdeka Championship followed by a 1-0 result during the pre-World Cup qualifiers in Bengaluru in 2001.
Meanwhile, India’s women’s football team got off to a blistering start with a 15-0 thrashing of Maldives. India led 9-0 at half-time. Sasmita Malek and Kamala Devi scored five goals each, while Bala Devi secured a brace and Ashalata Devi, Bembem Devi and Prameshwori Devi got one each. India will next play South Korea on September 17 and take on Thailand on September 19.
