'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
India could not have begun their Asian Cup 2019 campaign on a better note. A 4-1 win against a competitive team like Thailand are what dreams are made of.
The 2nd half was highly entertaining as Indian players pressed high up and got 3 goals in the 45 minutes. The talismanic Sunil Chhetri scored a brace, the young Anirudh Thapa found the back of the net once, and finally Mizo sniper Jeje Lalpekhlua, who had been going through a goal drought, also found his name on the scoresheet.
Even though the Blue Tigers have finally clinched their first victory in the coveted tournament for the first time in 55 years, there is not much time for them to celebrate.
ALSO READ: India v UAE - the preview
Sunil Chhetri and Co will be squaring off against the hosts UAE on 10 January 2019 in what will be their 2nd encounter of the Asian Cup 2019. It will be a tough match as UAE were the semifinalists in the previous edition of the Asian Cup.
UAE are coming into the match off a 1-1 draw against Bahrain. It will be a vital encounter for both the sides as the teams will play only a single round-robin during the group stages and every result is of paramount importance as far as qualification is concerned.
Without further ado, let us dive into analyzing India's next opponents of the Asian Cup -- UAE -- and all you need to know about them.
Rank
United Arab Emirates are currently ranked 79th as per FIFA World Rankings. The Indian national football team, on the other hand, are ranked 97th.
UAE's coach: Alberto Zaccheroni
Alberto Zaccheroni is an extremely experienced football manager. The Italian gaffer has been in charge of multiple renowned Serie A clubs in the past.
He had a brief stint with giants Juventus in 2010 and Inter, Lazio, and AC Milan are the other prominent clubs he has managed in the past.
The 65-year-old is known to follow an unconventional 3-4-3 line-up for his sides. It is his trademark style of coaching and he builds the team around it.
The Meldola-born coach is also renowned for leading the Japanese team to a record 4th title during the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. Since taking over UAE on 16 October 2017, Zaccheroni led the side to a runner-up place at the 23rd Gulf Cup.
UAE have never won anything largely significant under their Italian manager and he will be hoping he can break the jinx and lead them to their first ever Asian Cup title. In the 18 matches he has coached the UAE, they have won 5, drawn 7, and lost 6 matches.
Performances in the recent past?
Here are UAE's results in their previous 10 matches:
- Drew 1-1 with Bahrain on 5 January, 2019
- Lost 0-2 to Kuwait on 28 December, 2018
- Defeated Yemen 2-0 on 20 November, 2018
- Drew 0-0 with Bolivia on 16 November, 2018
- Lost 0-2 to Venezuela on 16 October, 2018
- Drew 1-1 with Honduras on 11 October, 2018
- Defeated Laos 3-0 on 11 September, 2018
- Lost 0-2 to Trinidad and Tobago on 6 September, 2018
- Drew 0-0 with Andorra on 18 August, 2018
- Lost 0-1 to Gabon 25 March, 2018
Overall, The Whites won 2, drew 4, and lost 4 of their last 10 matches.
Next slide: players to watch out for and Squad
UAE Players India need to watch out for:
Khalfan Mubarak is a youngster the Blue Tigers need to be wary of. The 23-year-old plays for Al Jazira currently and is a potent goal scorer as well as creator.
In the 13 matches he has played for his club in the UAE Gulf League, he has 8 goals and 11 assists already. The versatile Right Winger can operate as a Left winger and attacking midfielder as well. The Ajman-born player will look to make a mark for the national side now.
Khalfan is extremely creative in the midfield and the Indian defense will need to mark him closely at all times or else he will punish them by creating chances.
Bandar Al Ahbabi has also recently made his place in the national side. The hardworking player, who currently plays for Al Ain, operates well on the flanks and can swing in pinpoint crosses.
Ali Ahmed Mabkhout is the go-to forward for UAE. The 28-year-old plays for Al Jazira and has achieved tremendous success with the club. The prolific goalscorer has done superbly for the national team as well and has made over 60 appearances for them -- scoring 40+ goals. He is UAE's all-time 3rd top goalscorer.
Ahmed Khalil is another player India needs to watch out for.
UAE forms a strong unit overall and will be a tough nut to crack for Constantine and his troops.
Omar Abdulrahman will be missing as he is out with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Striker Ali Ahmed Mabkhout also had to work extra hard to find space and create opportunities for himself. The player is better known as a goalscorer but is lacking the delivery he needs from his teammates in the absence of Omar.
UAE are well organized defensively. Bahrain's strategy of sitting back and playing counter-attacking football was effective against them.
The Blue Tigers will also be looking to follow a similar game plan in order to achieve success against UAE. All in all, the upcoming match between Constantine's men and UAE promises to be a nail-biting one.
UAE team:
Goalkeepers: Khalid Eisa, Mohammed Al-Shamsi, Ali Khasif
Defenders: Fares Juma Al Saadi, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Al Hassan Saleh, Walid Abbas, Mohamed Ahmed, Khalifa Mubarak, Ismail Ahmed
Midfielders: Ismail Al Hammadi, Khamis Esmaeel, Bandar Al-Ahbabi, Ali Salmeen, Majed Hassan, Saif Rashid, Amer Abdulrahman, Mohamed Abdulrahman, Khalfan Mubarak
Forwards: Ismail Matar, Ahmed Khalil, Ali Mabkhout, Rayan Yaslam
