UAE to take on Australia today

UAE Olympic Team will meet their counterparts from Australia in a crucial Group B match of the Asian qualifiers for London Olympics 2012 on Wednesday at the Al Jazira’s Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The kickoff is at 5.30pm. UAE lead the group with eight points along with Uzbekistan while Australia have three points and Iraq one point. The winner of Group B qualifies directly for the London Olympics and the second-placed finisher advance to a three-team AFC playoff in March, with the survivor facing Senegal in April and the winner qualifying for London. UAE is being trained by Emirati coach Mahdi Ali and they are the front-runners along with Uzbekistan. With two matches remaining, the three points are very important for the hosts as they have never entered the Olympics. “Our ambitions are to play in the London Games this year for that we must be able to play and win against a big side,” said Ali at a pre-match press conference held at the Al Jazira Club in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. “We have prepared well and we know the Australians are good in shape who play European style of soccer. But we are more focused and garner the three points. I expect my boys to play a good game and come out with a good result,” said Ali. “Irrespective what happens in Tuesday’s game between Uzbekistan and Iraq we are determined to play our game and win full points as we have to win the remaining two games.” “Four years ago we set a goal that was to qualify for the London Olympics and now we have advanced to this stage and if we win both the remaining games we will create history as the first ever UAE team to make to the Olympics,” he said. Player Mohammed Ahmed said his team-mates are in upbeat mood and are 100 per cent ready for the match as the coach Ali has given them everything to win the match. Ali said Amer Abdul Rahman may miss the match as he is not yet sure whether he has completely recovered from an injury he sustained from a friendly match. But he said they are many talented players to replace him in case he misses the match. Defender Hamdan Al Kamali who is loaned to Lyon in France has rejoined the team. Ali has become the most successful Emirati coach, after leading the UAE to their first Under-19 Asian Cup title in 2008, to the quarter finals in the U20 World Cup in 2009, the Under-23 Gulf Cup crown in 2010 and a silver medal at the Asian Games last December. Australian coach Aurelio Vidmar said: “Obviously it will be our last game away from Australia and will be a difficult game against the UAE. “But we are confident of getting good results. We had a difficult game in Adelaide in our home match so we have to win this game and no other result is good for us. Then we will try to beat Iraq and look for the playoff stages.”