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Bert van Marwijk’s team will start their Group A match in the final AFC Champions League qualifying game against Lebanon in Dubai on Thursday.
After reversing their fate in an amazing way in the last round, the UAE will begin bidding for the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1990.
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Bert van Marwijk’s team will start their Group A match in the final AFC Champions League qualifying game against Lebanon in Dubai on Thursday.
The white team hopes that in the next round, strong teams such as South Korea, Iran, Iraq and Syria are waiting for their group stage to have a good start.
But the team will definitely be inspired by their performance in the last four games of the previous round in Dubai.
Facing the must-win situation in the last four Group G matches, the UAE has continued to grow and have created an impressive performance. They have created four victories (4-0 against Malaysia, 3-1 against Thailand, and 5-0 against Indonesia. ) And 3-2 against Vietnam) as the group leader in the third round of the 12 teams.
“Two months ago, we played four games in 12 days, but on the other hand, I said you got a certain rhythm at that time, so this might be an advantage,” Van Marwijk before the game against Lebanon Tell reporters.
“Now two months later, we have to start again. So I think we have made good preparations. But it never guarantees anything. We are in Serbia (participating in the training camp) and we work very well there. Then We have been here for four or five days.
“So I think we are ready for this. And we only focus on this game. The first game is always the most important game. This is the next round, so when you play against a better team , The resistance will be greater. It will be difficult, but I am satisfied with the preparations and I have great trust in my team.”
Van Marwijk, who helped Saudi Arabia qualify for the 2018 World Cup, said that sticking to a style is the key to success in the tough qualifiers.
“If you change every time, every game, your style, your way of playing, it’s not ideal. For me, it’s important for us to develop our own way of playing. If you succeed, then you will see Your team is getting more and more confident,” the Dutch coach said.
“So this is what I have been telling my players. At the same time, we have analyzed our opponents well, so we understand everything about our opponents and try to beat them after finding their weaknesses. The most important thing is that we try to develop Your own style.”
Van Marwijk, 69, believes that the UAE has the strength to enter the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
“I think I said after the last qualifying round (June) that we have a chance to participate in the World Cup. It’s still the same,” he said.
“I believe in my team. I think we have been improving and you must be a little lucky. But we are well prepared and the players are confident in the way we want to play.”
The 12 teams in the two groups will each have 10 home and away games. After a arduous six months of final qualifying rounds, the top two teams in each group will be eligible for the World Cup.
The two third-ranked teams will enter the playoffs in the fourth round, and the winner will advance to the inter-league playoffs and compete for a place in the World Cup.
As the prestige of the World Cup seats is threatened, the UAE will rely on home support in the first match against Lebanon at the Zabeel Stadium in Dubai, as the authorities have allowed vaccinated fans to participate in the match at 60% of the stadium’s capacity.
The main member of the UAE team, Majid Hassan, is looking forward to drawing inspiration from the home fans. “In the last round, we knew that the attendance rate was limited to 30%. They gave us a big boost and we did our best. Thanks to them, we passed this round with all the goals we scored,” Hassan said.
“Now we believe that they will support us more than in the last round, and we guarantee that we will do our best to win tomorrow’s game.”
World Cup Qualifiers (Finals)
Group A
Iran
Iraq
South Korea
Lebanon
Syria
UAE
Group B
Australia
China
Japan
Oman
Saudi Arabia
Vietnam
notes: The top two teams in each group will be eligible for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The two third-ranked teams will seal the victory in the playoffs.The winner will advance to the intercontinental play-offs to get a seat in the World Cup
Thursday’s game
(UAE Time)
Group A
UAE vs Lebanon
8:45 p.m.
Dubai Zabir Stadium
South Korea vs. Iraq
3pm
Seoul World Cup Stadium
Iran vs Syria
eight pm
Tehran Azadi Stadium
Group B
Japan vs Oman
2:14 PM
Suita City Football Stadium, Osaka
Saudi Arabia vs. Vietnam
10 pm
King Saud University Stadium, Riyadh
Australia vs. China
10 pm
Khalifa International Stadium, Doha
Riturai Borkacotti
As a big fan of the Argentine national football team, Rituraj usually writes articles about sports. But he cherishes the time spent in interviews with his favorite musicians from the Indian state of Assam. He likes to bring interesting human stories to the readers of Khaleej Times.
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