World Cup dreams on screen

A new documentary looks at how the 1990 UAE national football team achieved the impossible

The Lights Of Rome is a new football documentary released in time for National Day by Image Nation, and follows the Cinderella story of the UAE national football team that qualified for the 1990 Fifa World Cup.

Earning a spot at the finals in Italy was a remarkable feat for the team – and an accomplishment that hasn’t been repeated since.

“No one expected us to win, and for the first time it showed the world exactly who the UAE were,” says Mohammed Al Mubarak, chairman of Image Nation Abu Dhabi.

“I’m hoping we can recreate these feelings once again, sharing the talents, the history and the culture of the UAE on the global stage,” he adds.

The film includes interviews with UAE football stars Ali Thani, Abdulrahman Al-Haddad and Khalid Ismaïl – who scored a now legendary goal against West Germany, amongst others.

Check out the theatrical trailer on our website (whatson-abudhabi. com), while the film is expected to be in cinemas across the country from December 1.

imagenationabudhabi.com