Al-Ittihad Al-Youm learned that the Olympic team is threatened with the loss of 11 players, in contrast to their participation in the semi-finals of the Arabian Gulf Cup with the preparation of the team to participate in the AFC U-23 World Cup qualifiers hosted by Saudi Arabia from 22 to 26 March.
The team will lose players in the next round in March, which precedes the Asian qualifiers, where Thailand will host the Asian Cup in January directly to the Olympic Games scheduled for the Japanese capital Tokyo in 2020.
The 11 players expected to be absent from the team during this period are: five from the unit, three from Al-Ahli youth, and a player from Al-Nasr, as well as goalkeeper Bani Yas, because of the programming of the semi-finals of the Gulf Cup and the association of these players during this period with their teams, Al-Nasr will meet Al-Ahly on March 8, while Bani Yas faces the 15th of the same month.
The final list of players included Khalid Mohammed (Al Ain), Majid Rashid (Kalba Union), Khalid Abdul Rahman (Bani Yas), Zayed Abdullah, Ahmed Fawzi, Mohammed Alatas, Khalifa Mubarak, Kareem Al-Nubi, Ahmed Abdullah (Al Ahly Dubai), Mohammed Ali Shaker (Ajman), Jassim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Mohammed Rashid Al Hammadi, Ahmed Rashid Al Mehrazi, Tahnoon Al Zaabi, Suhail Al Mutawa (Al Wasl). The Asian qualifiers are preceded by a two-stage preparatory camp, the first from March 5 to 11, with a friendly against Tajikistan and the second from 13 to 20, with a friendly against India.
In the absence of so many players for a crucial stage in the preparation of the Asian qualifiers, there will be a big dilemma for the coaching staff, who are looking forward to repeating the historic achievement of the 2012 Olympic team, led by former coach Mehdi Ali, Olympic Games in London.
The Asian Cup qualifiers are in Group D, with Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and the Maldives.
For his part, the director of the Olympic football team, Jamal Buhandi, the match against the Chinese team, which was held yesterday at the stadium Rashid Club Youth Al Ahli, and ended with a 2-2 win in favor of the goal, and the technical level provided by the players is satisfactory.
"The result of the game is good, and the level of technical support that the team showed in the game was satisfactory, despite the absence of a large group of players," Bouhandi said in a press statement after the match. The coach, led by Polish coach Massig Scorza, gave the opportunity to all players to participate in the game.
"In my opinion, there was a full concentration of players throughout the game, and that is a positive sign for the team," he said.
China won 2-1 at home and Ali Saleh scored in the 35th and 67th, while China's Yang Li scored 64.
Masig: The last rally achieved its goals despite its short duration
The coach of the Olympic team, Polish Scurza Masig, praised the level shown by the players of the team, pointing out in a statement to the official website of the Union of football that the last group achieved its goals, despite the short duration, pointing out that during the camp to stand on the level of players and technical readiness and physical.