Asian Cup 2015: United Arab Emirates coach and players nurturing big dreams

UNITED Arab Emirates boss Mahdi Ali says he has six dreams and one of those fantasies is to coach an A-League club as his side is charming the Asian Cup.

UNITED Arab Emirates boss Mahdi Ali says he has six dreams and one of those fantasies is to coach an A-League club as his side is charming the Asian Cup.

Ali’s UAE has now earned six points and claimed the fastest goal of the tournament in a stimulating 2-1 win over Gulf rival Bahrain in Canberra on Thursday after smacking Qatar 4-1 in the ACT in the Group C opener on Sunday.

“I have six dreams and one of those dreams is to coach abroad,’’ Ali said.

“This is one thing that would make me very, very happy.”

But Ali has played a major part in the rise of UAE football.

He has nurtured 16 of the 23-man Asian Cup squad since 2004 when he was coaching future youth UAE internationals.

One of those players which Ali helped rise to the top was the man-of-the-match, classy playmaker Omar Abdulrahman.

Abdulrahman said he would follow Ali to the A-League if there was ever a chance, revealing his boyhood hero was France legend Zinedine Zidane.

And there was a touch of Zidane when Abdulrahman created the opening goal with one of the classiest chips ever seen in a game of soccer before the goal.

But Abdulrahman said he was surprised when he had space to deliver the perfect ball before watching Ali Mabkhout jag the tournament’s fastest goal when the striker scored from his assist.

The clash was just 14 seconds old when UAE shocked Bahrain.

But Abdulrahman has attracted an enormous amount of interest from scouts world-wide after he has been a stand out creator in UAE’s two wins at the Asian Cup.

“Thanks to God I am very happy for that this will give me more motivation coming into the matches,’’ Abdulrahman said.

While UAE was ecstatic with another Asian Cup win in Australia, Bahrain boss Marjan Eid declared his side had no luck in a clash which was threatening to turn into a boilover after Mabkhout’s early goal.

Mabkhout’s third goal of the Asian Cup stunned Bahrain who lost possession of the ball just three passes after having the kick off.

“The luck was not with Bahrain in the second match,’’ said Eid.

“For sure we deserved three points for this match I think we were unlucky for this tournament because we couldn’t score in the second half.”

But Eid refused to blame his captain Mohamed Hussain for the defeat.

Hussain scored a decisive own goal which flew off his head before nestling in the back of the net.

“The own goal it came from a free kick and for Mamed Hussain it is a difficult ball for the goalkeeper and also the defence,’’ he said.

“He was unlucky.

Bahrain will play Qatar in its final Group C clash in Sydney on Sunday.

“It will be very difficult to play this final game but I wish they get what they deserve the three points,” Eid said.