The UAE Olympic team will have to pick up the pieces soon enough and make a run for it when they take on Timor Leste in the men's football competition at the Asian Games in Soreang, Indonesia, on Thursday.
The Group C fixture would be something of a mismatch with the massive gulf that exists in the rankings - the UAE are 77th while Timor Leste are way down in 190. But on the evidence of recent events, not least the scuffle in Malaysia leading to Mohammed Khalfan being banished from the squad, this game has a lot hanging on the 2010 Guangzhou silver medallists.
Unlike that 'Golden Generation,' this bunch is yet to punch above their weight or at least come close to that squad masterminded by the tactical nous of Emirati coach Mahdi Ali. They failed to qualify for the Rio Olympics two years ago as well as the AFC Under-23 Championship in China early this year, twin failures which led to the axing of coach Hassan Al Abdouli.
It is now left to Polish coach Maciej Skorza to helm together a side that, for all intents and purposes, will be the future UAE National team. But it hasn't been an easy ride so far for the 46-year-old, who took over this year.
The UAE went down by a solitary goal to Syria in their group opener on Tuesday and perhaps that brawl has proven to be an unwanted distraction. Nonetheless, Skorza will have to shake them off that and salvage a winning performance on Thursday if they harbour hopes of progressing to the next stage of the competition.
A victory will put the UAE back and if other results go in their favour, destiny will remain in their hands when they take on China in their final group game on Sunday. And the magnitude and importance of the fixture against Timor Leste at the Jalak Harupat Stadium was not lost on Skorza.
"We played a good game and dominated the game most of the time and the attackers had many opportunities," Skorza said about the game against Syria.
"The match against Timor Leste is very important where we must win to compete for one of the qualifying spots to the second round. I have confidence in my players and I believe that we can achieve a positive result," he added.
Timor Leste were swamped by China 6-0 in their opening game but Skorza was not getting carried away and said that it doesn't mean that they can take them lightly.
"The circumstances are different in each match. Timor Leste lost by a big margin but that does not mean that things will be easy on Thursday. We must deal with the game with all seriousness and show the desire and enthusiasm to win and keep our fortunes alive until the last game against China," said Skorza.
Meanwhile, striker Ali Eid has vowed that he and his teammates will come up with a better showing against Timor Leste.
"We will show a better level against Timor Leste than we did against Syria. This game is an opportunity to restore confidence in ourselves," said the 20-year-old Al Ain striker, who secured a season-long loan move to Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb.
Syria take on China in the other match of the day.
KICK-OFF: UAE vs Timor Leste, 1 p.m UAE Time
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