Dubai: New UAE Under-19 coach Ljubinko Drulovic has made qualifying for the 2019 Under-20 World Cup his main objective.
The 48-year-old Serbian took charge this week and is immediately tasked with qualifying for the 2018 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-19 Championship, where the top four sides will qualify for the 2019 Under-20 World Cup.
Qualifiers for the AFC Under-19 Championship runs from October 31 to November 8 this year and the UAE are in Group A alongside Bahrain, Oman, Nepal and group hosts Kyrgyzstan.
The AFC Under-19 Championship will take place from October 18 to November 4 next year in an unconfirmed location, and the Under-20 World Cup will take place the following year, so far dates and hosts are also unconfirmed.
If successful in reaching the 2019 Under-20 World Cup, it would be the UAE’s fourth appearance having twice reached the quarter-finals in 2009 (when they hosted the tournament) and 2003. Before that they also reached the Last 16 on their debut in 1997. UAE striker Esmail Mattar even won the award for player of the tournament in 2003.
“Achieving this goal requires everyone to work continuously and double their efforts on a daily basis from now until the qualifiers,” said Drulovic, a former winger for Porto and Yugoslavia, who played at World Cup 1998 and Euro 2000, before leading Serbia to the Uefa Under-19 Championship title as a coach in 2013.
“It’s good that we have enough time to prepare ourselves in the best possible way to compete,” he added.
“I cannot give any guarantees to achieve titles. But what we promise is diligence, to make the utmost effort and sacrifice to achieve the goals set, with the emphasis on the need to have the time and patience required, and cooperation between everyone, to prepare in the best possible way for benefits.”
The team have 15 friendly matches planned from August 3 to October 30, in the build-up to their qualifiers in Kyrgyzstan.
“It’s hard for me to judge the level of local competition in the UAE and I think I will have a better idea when the season starts and I can watch enough matches,” added Drulovic.
“I wish to lend my experience to the UAE and succeed in forming a good reputation that entices more clubs here to contract with Serbian coaches.”
