Esmail Mattar
DUBAI, UAE ● Mahdi Ali, coach of the UAE’s national Olympic football team, announced his preliminary 24 man squad for London 2012 at the UAE FA headquarters in Al Khawaneej on Monday.
Among his selection were four senior players – over the age of 23 – three of whom, as per Olympic rules, can assist the juniors in their quest for medals. They were Al Wahda’s striker Esmail Matar, Al Jazira keeper Ali Khasaif, Al Jazira fullback Abdullah Moosa and Al Ahli winger Esmail Al Hammadi.
The final cut to 18 will be made nearer to the finals which take place in the UK from July 26 to August 11.
The UAE face Uruguay at Old Trafford in Manchester on July 26th, Great Britain at Wembley on July 29th and Senegal in Coventry on August 1. No captain has been announced as yet but the experienced Esmail Matar is widely tipped to take the armband.
1. Ali Khusaif
2. Abdullah Moosa
3. Esmail Matar
4. Esmail Al Hammadi
5. Ahmad Mahmoud
6. Saoud Saeed
7. Rashid Eisa
8. Khalid Eisa
9. Khamis Esmail
10. Ali Mabkhout
11. Ali Al Amri
12. Habib Al Fardan
13. Saad Soroor
14. Abdulaziz Haikal
15. Ahmad Khalil
16. Mohammad Ahmad
17. Abdulaziz Sangoor
18. Omar Abdulrahman
19. Amer Abdulrahman
20. Mohammad Fouzi
21. Haboush Saleh
22. Ahmad Ali
23. Mohammad Jaber
24. Hamdan Al Kamali