Mahdi Ali is staying
dubai — Mahdi Ali will continue as the UAE national football team coach.
Mohammed bin Hazzam, the UAE FA Secretary, has categorically denied all talks of Mahdi stepping down after the Whites beat Iraq 2-0 in the 2018 Fifa World Cup Qualifiers at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
Hazzam denied the ‘news’ that Mahdi had quit his job. “We know that there has been talks of changes in the team’s coaching staff, including Mahdi Ali but we stress that these are merely rumours and there’s nothing official about it.
“Mahdi Ali spoke to the players after the match to congratulate them on the victory and urged them to do more in the upcoming commitments,” he confirmed.
“The win was an outcome of the hard work and effort of the coaching staff and the players as well as the FA,” he added.
“The match was very crucial for our campaign to stay in hunt for one of the spots reserved for the Group-B in the finals. We are now only one point off the pace with nine points,” he remarked.
Hazzam hailed the support of the various companies and parties which have contributed to the organisation of the game and the fans and media which have played a major role in cheering the boys before and after the match.
Meanwhile, he revealed: “The Chairman of the FA board of directors and the board members have set up a comprehensive appraisal plan for the previous stage and would be reviewed by all parties concerned. The upcoming stage requires a firm stand behind the national team in all their commitments to achieve the national target by making it into the finals of the world football extravaganza for the second time in the history of the country.”