Gulf News

UAE face Malaysia at home in October

AFC announces dates for Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers

- BY ALARIC GOMES Chief Reporter

The UAE will be up for a do-or-die battle against Malaysia in the first half of October after the Asian Football Confederat­ion (AFC) announced the proposed match dates for the remaining matches of the Qatar 2022 World Cup and China 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers.

The qualifiers were originally scheduled to take place in March and June, but could not follow the set dates due to the coronaviru­s pandemic.

Earlier this week, the AFC, in consultati­on with world governing body Fifa, announced the new qualifying dates with the UAE hosting Malaysia in their Group G match on October 8, while Thailand take on Indonesia the same day. The times for the matches are yet to be finalised.

Immediatel­y after their match against Malaysia, the UAE will have to depart to play bottom-placed Indonesia on October 13 and then have nearly one month of further preparatio­ns before their next home fixture against Thailand on November 12, before signing off with their last home encounter against Vietnam on November 17.

Currently, Vietnam are in the driver’s seat in Group G as they hold a two-point lead over Malaysia in a fascinatin­g group where five points separate the top four teams. Park Hang-seo’s side hold top spot with 11 points, with Malaysia on nine and Thailand a further point behind.

However, a win against the Malaysians on October 8 could see a significan­t change as the UAE, who are fourth in the group with six points, trying to fight their way back. Secondly,

the 1990 Fifa World Cup qualifiers still have an extra game in hand over the teams above them and a home win against Malaysia will put them back into the reckoning.

Mutual consent

The UAE Football Associatio­n (UAEFA) is yet to name a successor to Serbian Ivan Jovanovic who parted ways by mutual consent after the coronaviru­s pandemic broke in March. Since then, a number of high-profile names have been linked for the UAE coach’s position, including Croatia’s head coach Zlatko Dalic, Zoran Mamic and Cosmin Olaroiu — all with Al Ain at some point of their careers — along with local talents like Abdul Aziz Al Anbari and Mahdi Ali.

 ?? WAM ?? The UAE will host Malaysia in their Group G match on October 8, while Thailand take on Indonesia the same day.
WAM The UAE will host Malaysia in their Group G match on October 8, while Thailand take on Indonesia the same day.

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