UAE coach: Years' of effort paid off
Xinhua, January 11, 2015 Adjust font size:
After defeating Qatar 4-1 in Group C opener at the AFC Asian Cup here on Sunday, the United Arab Emirates' coach Mahdi Ali said that his years' of hard work had been rewarded.
"I have been with this group for a long time, maybe around nine years," Ali said.
"More than 16 of them have worked with me since 2004 when I was an assistant coach and then since 2008 as the head coach," he added. "We've grown together. We help each other a lot. We know each other, and we understand each other and this is what I need to do for my job."
On the man of the match Ahmed Khalil, Ali said that he had been working with Ahmed since the player was eight.
"He always plays well in big events and in the most important games, he can make a difference for the team," Ali said.
UAE had never made the last eight in the last three Asian Cups. But Ali said he believed the team can go further this time. Endi