Today's Edition
KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
The UAE Olympic football team launches its campaign in the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup finals tonight, facing Qatar at 8.30pm at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah in the opening round of Group B.
The seventh edition of the tournament brings together Asia’s finest young talents, with 16 teams competing after 15 qualified through September’s preliminaries and hosts Saudi Arabia receiving automatic entry.
Under Uruguayan coach Marcelo Broli, the UAE side is appearing in the finals for the sixth time, having featured in Oman 2014, Qatar 2016, Thailand 2020, Uzbekistan 2022 and Qatar 2024, while missing the 2018 event in China. Their best performances remain quarter-final appearances in 2014, 2016 and 2020.
The squad will again be without key players due to club commitments. Shabab Al Ahli pair Sultan Adil and Mohammed Juma Al Mansouri – who both started in their side’s ADNOC Pro League round 11 win over Al Jazira – did not travel with the national team, the UAE Football Association confirmed.
This is the second consecutive finals where the Olympic team has lost players to domestic priorities. In Qatar 2024, five were excluded after Al Ain and Shabab Al Ahli refused releases: Al Ain duo Mohammed Abbas and Hazem Mohammed, plus Shabab Al Ahli trio Harib Abdullah, Bader Nasser and goalkeeper Hamad Al Muqbali. The association issued an official statement at the time expressing regret over the clubs’ decisions to prioritise league and Asian Champions League fixtures.
Despite the absences, Broli’s side is determined to break new ground by reaching the semi-finals for the first time. The coach has placed particular emphasis on mental preparation since the team arrived in Jeddah early Sunday morning. All available players took part in the first training session on an auxiliary pitch, where Broli addressed the squad beforehand, urging greater effort and concentration ahead of the Qatar clash.
Today’s opponents are equally ambitious. Qatar, participating in their sixth consecutive finals after missing the inaugural 2013 edition, have reached the semi-finals twice – in 2016 and 2018 – but are still chasing a maiden title.
In Group B’s other first-round fixture, defending champions Japan – the only nation to win the tournament more than once, triumphing in 2016 and 2024 – face Syria at 3.30pm at the same venue. Syria are returning to the finals for the fifth time, their first appearance since 2020.
The second round of group matches takes place next Saturday, with the UAE meeting Japan and Qatar playing Syria. The group stage concludes on Tuesday, when the UAE take on Syria and Japan face Qatar.
The top two teams from each group advance to the quarter-finals on January 16 and 17, followed by the semi-finals on January 20 and the final on January 24.
The 21-man UAE squad comprises: Khalid Tawhid, Adli Mohammed, Marzouq Al Badwawi, Mubarak bin Zama, Mansour Saleh Al Menhali, Ahmed Malallah, Leonard Amisimiko, Yousef Al Marzouqi, Hazza Shehab, Richard O’Connor, Khamis Al Mansouri, Solomon Soso, Ali Abdulaziz, Mohammed Al Wafi, Hazem Abbas, Matar Zaal, Junior Ndiaye, Mansour Al Menhali, Issa Khalfan, Maid Al Kass and Ali Al Maamari.
