Abu Dhabi: The UAE national team had just recorded their second-biggest victory in history — a 10-0 evisceration of Malaysia in their second Fifa 2018 World Cup qualifier — but their perennially phlegmatic coach Mahdi Ali was not getting carried away.
His poker-faced expression betraying pragmatism and realism after Thursday night’s demolition job against limited opposition, the red-capped tactician immediately switched his focus to an eminently sterner test to come on Tuesday.
Ali’s men, who lead Asian zone Group A on goal difference from Saudi Arabia after two wins out of two, face a daunting trip to the West Bank to play Palestine. The fired-up hosts will be playing their first official match in their home territory.
“Palestine is a different challenge, so we have to concentrate fully on that,” Ali said after Thursday’s mauling of Malaysia at the Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. “It is the first official match for them in their own country, so that will provide them with extra motivation.
“Today is finished, we go to the next challenge, the next step. We need to be 100 per cent prepared for it.”
But even the stern-faced Ali must have afforded himself a smile in the dressing room after the UAE’s resounding victory, which was just two goals shy of their record win of 12-0 away to Brunei in 2001.
After a laboured start, the rampant reds (the Whites were playing in their change kit) ruthlessly capitalised on every defensive error from their overwhelmed opponents, with strikers Ahmad Khalil (4) and Ali Mabkhout (3) at their lethal best.
Even defenders Mohannad Salem, who netted the UAE’s opener, Habib Fardan and Mohammad Ahmad got their names on the scoresheet.
“I’m very happy with the performance, the goals and the result, especially after the long summer,” Ali added of the scintillating performance, which involved seven first-half goals, five of which came in a whirlwind 11-minute spell. “We carried out our strategy well and won the match because we showed our opponents a lot of respect.”
It must be stressed that an injury-hit Malaysia are 98 places below the 70th-ranked UAE in the current Fifa standings, but the way Ali’s irresistible outfit embellished the destruction with tricks and flicks was a joy to behold.
It was a far cry from June’s opening qualifier, the UAE emerging from their away game with East Timor in neutral Malaysia with an unconvincing 1-0 win.
As ever, the UAE’s orchestrator-in-chief was midfielder Omar Abdul Rahman, the mercurial playmaker creating six of the 10 goals, while his equally impressive namesake Amer engineered three.
“I was happy for Omar,” Ali said, with trademark understatement. “But this is a team effort. Everyone contributes.”
The UAE coach also praised the Whites’ fans for their support, although this seemed a token gesture given that Al Jazira’s stadium was disappointingly dominated by empty seats.
Ali’s men were due to jet out to Jordan to prepare for the Palestine match on Friday afternoon.
While they may be flying high literally and metaphorically, Ali’s caution was laudable and well founded, given that Palestine and second-placed Saudi Arabia will challenge them strongly for qualification for the World Cup.
Following the trip to Palestine, Ali’s charges will play Saudi Arabia, who beat East Timor 7-0 at home on Thursday, away on October 8 and East Timor at home on November 12.
Top teams from all eight second-round World Cup qualifying groups progress to the third round, along with the four best runners-up. In the third round, which comprises two groups of six teams, the top two will qualify for the World Cup, while the two third-placed sides will enter intercontinental play-offs.
If successful in progressing to Russia 2018, it would be only the second time the Whites have reached the global showpiece after they competed at the 1990 tournament in Italy.
