Sharjah24: The UAE national football squad, led by coach Paulo Bento, is preparing for the forthcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The team has been reinforced by the return of 14 players from clubs such as Sharjah, Shabab Al-Ahli, Al-Nasr, and Al-Wasl, who were previously committed to continental and Gulf competitions.
The team began training on Sunday at an internal camp in Jebel Ali, Dubai, in preparation for their match against Iran on March 20th at Azadi Stadium in Tehran, followed by a match against North Korea on March 25th at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The UAE is currently in third place in Group A, with 10 points, after Iran (16) and Uzbekistan (13).
Coach Bento stresses the offensive abilities of Sharjah's Luan Pereira and Caio Lucas, both of whom have recently displayed great form. Following their club obligations, they will immediately join the national squad. Other significant attacking players include Sultan Adil and Caio Canedo.
Coach Bento has focused recent training sessions on improving synergy among new and existing players in preparation for the complete squad gathering.
Goalkeepers Khalid Eisa, Hamad Al-Muqbali, Ali Khaseif, and Adly Mohammed are among those expected to join the team. Defenders include Mohammed Al-Attas, Khaled Al-Hashemi, Kwame Kwadoo, Khalifa Al-Hammadi, Zayed Sultan, Khaled Al-Dhanhani, Fares Khalil, and Abdullah Idris. Midfielders chosen were Majid Rashid, Yahya Nader, Mackenzie Hunt, Mohammed Abbas, Tahnoon Al Zaabi, Issam Fayez, Marcus Meloni, Yahya Al Ghassani, Hareb Abdullah, Ali Saleh, Fábio Lima, and Fahd Badr. The forwards are Bruno Oliveira, Junior Niday, and Caio Canedo.
13 players took part in the opening training session, including Khaled Essa, Ali Khaseif, Mohammed Al-Attas, Lucas Pimenta, Kwame Kwadoo, Khalifa Al-Hammadi, Alaeddine Zouhir, Zayed Sultan, Yahya Nader, Abdullah Ramadan, Issam Fayez, Sultan Adil, and Bruno Oliveira.
The UAE hopes to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1990, and the forthcoming matches will be critical to their success.
For an optimal experience, please
