UAE face Portugal in Beach Soccer opener
dubai — The UAE will open their Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup campaign against Portugal at the tournament’s swanky new home at Marasi Business Bay, hoping to get off to a good start and as they bid to make the knockout stages of the tournament for the first time since 2013.
Held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, and organised by the Dubai Sports Council, the annual invitation-only beach soccer extravaganza has been calling Dubai International Marine Club its home since 2013 after visiting Jumeirah Beach Residence for the inaugural edition in 2011 and Dubai Festival City in the following year.
This year, the seventh edition of the tournament, which brings eight
The first match is always very important Mohammad Al Mazmi
of the sport’s best teams from every continent to Dubai, will be hosted by Dubai Properties at their stunning new development Marasi Business Bay from October 31 to November 4.
Brazil, the defending champions and 2017 Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup winners, will make first use of the brand new sandy pitches when they meet Egypt in the opening match of the tournament, which has become one of the landmark events on Dubai’s glittering sporting calendar.
The hosts UAE, who lost all three of their group matches last year and finished seventh — their worst finish in six editions of the tournament — will be hoping to make amends as they take on 2015 World Cup winners Portugal in the second match of the opening day.
Drawn in a tough Group A, the Whites will face familiar foes Egypt on day two before taking on Brazil on the final day of group matches, with a knockout berth potentially at stake.
“The first match is always very important,” said Mohammad Al Mazmi, the UAE national beach soccer team coach. “It is certainly not an easy match, but you are never going to have easy matches in a tournament likes this, which brings eight of the world’s best teams together.”
“Hopefully we can prepare well and make a good start,” added Al Mazmi, whose team have not played competitively since their group exit from the 2017 World Cup, which was held in the Bahamas in May.