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The UAE and Hong Kong lock horns at the Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar for their opening game in Group C of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup on Sunday.
Hosts of the 2019 edition, the UAE are coming off the back of a narrow 1-0 loss to Oman in a friendly game last weekend. Abdullah Fawaz scored the only goal of the game in the fifth minute as the Sons of Zayed failed to recover from it.
It ended their long unbeaten run of nine games, having also won seven in a row before this loss, and Paulo Bento's side will be aiming to put this one behind them and start their cup campaign with a bang.
The UAE have called up 26 players for their Qatar tournament, including key attacker Ali Mabkhout, who has scored 85 goals in 114 games for the side. Sharjah goalkeeper Khaled Tawhid is the only uncapped player in the squad.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong are making their first appearance in the cup finals since the 1968 edition, while this is only their fourth participation in history.
The Dragons began their preparation with a surprise 2-1 win over China, but couldn't keep that up in the next two games, as they were beaten 2-1 and 2-0 by Tajikistan and Saudi Arabia respectively.
Head coach Jørn Andersen has named a 26-man squad for the upcoming tournament, including key attacker Everton Camargo, who has scored four goals in five games.
UAE vs Hong Kong Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- There have only been two previous clashes between the sides, and the UAE won on both occasions.
- The UAE beat Hong Kong 4-0 in their first encounter on 15 October 2013, and then followed it up with another 4-0 thrashing on 15 November 2013 at home.
- Hong Kong have lost their last two games.
- UAE's seven-game winning run (and nine unbeaten) came to an end with a 1-0 loss to Oman in their last outing.
- Hong Kong are ranked 150th in the world, whereas the UAE are in 64th position.
UAE vs Hong Kong Prediction
The UAE are a much stronger side on paper than Hong Kong, who also lack experience in games like this.
The Sons of Zayed should win this one comfortably.
Prediction: UAE 3-0 Hong Kong
UAE vs Hong Kong Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: UAE to win
Tip 2 - Goals over/under 2.5: Over 2.5
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: No
