The UAE’s problematic preparations for hosting January 2019’s Asian Cup have continued after tournament debutants Yemen were announced on Wednesday as friendly replacements for heavyweights Egypt.
Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah and his fellow World Cup 2018 qualifiers were expected to run-out at Al Wahda’s refurbished Al Nahyan Stadium on Tuesday. This fixture would have represented a gala event, plus an important yardstick on the way to the continental tournament.
But a contentious decision by the Egyptian Football Association – without prior notification – late on Saturday evening to unilaterally postpone the fixture until March left their Emirati counterparts furious and scrambling for alternative opposition.
Jan Kocian’s Yemen, ranked 73 places lower than Egypt at 131st by FIFA, will now face the Whites at Al Wasl’s Zabeel Stadium on November 20. This Friday’s run-out against Bolivia at Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium remains unaffected.
The glaring disparity between Yemen and Egypt has further hampered troubled attempts by coach Alberto Zaccheroni to get his troops up to speed for when they kick-off the enlarged 24-team tournament on January 5 against Bahrain.
The ex-AC Milan, Juventus and Japan tactician had already witnessed a tournament-ending injury to Al Hilal’s superstar playmaker Omar Abdulrahman and a run of one win in his last eight matches – against tiny Laos in September.
A repeat of 1996’s run to the final, when the Emirates last put on the event, was demanded by the UAE FA in October 2017 when they hired him.
Imminent opponents Bolivia – ranked 48th, 34 spots higher than the UAE – landed at Dubai Airport on Tuesday night. They will meet an outfit ravaged by injury.
2015 AFC Player of the Year Ahmed Khalil was not selected because of recurring fitness problems. In defence, veteran Ismail Ahmed dropped out after the 28-man squad was announced.
Further withdrawals by Al Jazira’s Khalfan Mubarak and Al Ain’s Rayan Yaslam have hampered attempts to procure a creative replacement for the celebrated ‘Amoory’.