Thursday, Aug 15, 2013
Dubai: The UAE national beach soccer coach Marcelo Mendes will miss the allround services of hard-working Adel Al Rahi when he departs with the squad today for their final competition in Hungary before next month’s Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup in Tahiti.
The UAE is scheduled to play in a four-nation international friendly round-robin tournament in Budapest from August 18-21. The other three teams are Holland, Czech Republic and the hosts. The UAE face Czech Republic in their first match on August 18 followed by matches against Holland and Hungary on the following two days.
“I have a good feeling about this team as they have been showing good signs during training,” coach Marcelo Mendes told Gulf News before their departure for Budapest on Thursday.
Missing out on the trip is Satwa boy Al Rahi following a nagging left knee injury that may need surgery in the long run. “He needs a minor surgery on the knee to get rid of some formation on the meniscus. But for the time-being I would rather have him at the World Cup in Tahiti than risk him in this friendly tournament,” Mendes said.
“We all know what sort of impact Adel can make in a match. But we need to look long-term and see how best we can conserve him for the competition in Tahiti,” he stressed.
Al Rahi made his way into the national squad after being discovered during the course of the Dubai Sports Council (DSC)-backed annual ‘Al Furjan Championships’ held every year in an attempt to keep the youth occupied during summer months. Tiny, but full of energy and verve, Al Rahi has become one of the key members in Mendes’s set-up especially from the left flank.
This will be the UAE’s fourth appearance in the past six years at the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup.
Earlier this year, the UAE qualified along with champions Iran and Japan to represent Asia at the 2013 Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup to be held in Tahiti from September 19-31.
Twice crowned Asian champions in 2007 and 2008, the UAE qualified a third time when they hosted the World Cup in Dubai in 2009.
In 2007, the UAE finished fourth in their group in Rio de Janeiro before ending in third in Marseille the following year.
As hosts, the UAE did well to secure their first win in the World Cup when they beat the Solomon Islands, but were eliminated despite giving the mighty Portugal a fright in their group match.
“This year is going to be our chance to show our true potential,” Mendes noted. “We have been working hard during the past few weeks now and I am expecting some good results in the Hungary tournament before we embark on our final leg of preparations,” the Brazilian added.
The UAE has been drawn in Group A alongside Spain, USA and hosts Tahiti. However, the final squad is scheduled to travel to Tahiti in exactly a month’s time with two friendly matches against Brazil and Paraguay testing them one last time before they commence their campaign.
By Alaric Gomes Senior Reporter
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