UAE senior squad start training for last qualifier

The UAE senior team started their training camp here yesterday as they build up towards their last match in the Asian qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup against Lebanon, who they will face at Al Nahyan Stadium on February 29. The players trained at the Armed Forces stadium minus the players of Al Wahda, who will join the squad today after having played against Al Kiraitiat from Qatar in the GCC Clubs Championship last night. The UAE are bottom of the group which also features South Korea and Kuwait and qualification is beyond them, while Lebanon are placed second behind Korea with 10 points. A win for the visitors would lead them to the final stage of the qualifiers for the first time. Palestine friendly The UAE will also face Palestine in a friendly match on Friday at Al Nahyan Stadium. "This team is not only for the two matches but also for the future." head coach Dr Abdullah Misfir said. "We have already selected them in the match we played earlier this month against Uzbekistan and the players have proven their worth by beating the Uzbeks. It is the UAE's first victory in a long time." The team includes Ali Khaseef, Juma Abdullah, Abdullah Mousa, Khalid Sabeel, Abdullah Qasim and Subait Khater, Dawood Sulaiman, Faris Juma, Muhannad Al Enazy, Ali Al Waheebi, Abdul Aziz Fayez and Mohammad Nasser, Salem Abdullah, Adel Abdullah, Eisa Obaid and Walid Abbas, Eisa Ahmad, Yagoob Al Housani, Mohammad Al Shehi, Esmail Matar, Bashir Saeed, Majid Hassan, Yousuf Jaber, Adnan Hussain and Younus Ahmad.