Mahdi Ali has been UAE coach since August United Arab Emirates (UAE) Football Association president Yousuf al-Serkal has backed the national team to make it into the top three teams in Asia. The Whites are gearing up for next month\'s Gulf Cup of Nations (GCN) in Bahrain, after an impressive display at the London 2012 Olympics.  UAE are currently 10th in the Asian Football Confederation rankings, with Japan, South Korea and Australia leading the way.
Al-Serkal told reporters, \"the ultimate objective is to become one of the top three national teams in the Asian continent and we are working on this. We are also looking forward to making our presence felt to achieve the short term and long term objectives with the support of our partners in the media.\"
The team is among the favourites to win the Gulf Cup of Nations under senior coach Mahdi Ali, having last captured the GCN crown in 2007.
Al-Serkal is confident of a positive showing from this group of players. \"We will never speak about being there just to establish our presence, but to compete to restore the title which we have won in 2007,\" he added. \"I believe our squad for the current championship is not only a blend between the youngsters and the experienced, but 70 to 80 percent of the players have been promoted from the U-23 squad.They are the cream of the UAE football talent.\"
The Gulf Cup of Nations is taking place between January 5 and 18. UAE are joined by hosts Bahrain, holders Kuwait, Iraq, Oman, Yemen, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.