“White” has all the capabilities to come back strong… and deserves to qualify

Football experts and former national team players stressed that the national team’s journey towards qualifying for the 2026 World Cup is not over yet, stressing that the opportunity still exists despite the difficulties the team faced in the final stage of the Asian qualifiers.

They told “Emirates Today” that “Al-Abyad still has all the capabilities that qualify it to return strongly in the decisive stage,” noting that “the challenges that the team faced must be considered part of the process of maturity and development, uniting the will of the players and fans and bringing the team closer to the World Cup dream.”

They called for “the necessity of doubling the effort and working with full concentration, not only in order to achieve qualification, but to confirm that UAE football is moving in the right direction,” stressing that “what distinguishes the team is that it does not give up easily, which is the characteristic of great teams that know how to turn difficulties into a push towards success.”

“Al-Abyad” will play with its Iraqi counterpart in the second round of the Asian qualifiers, the first at home on November 13, and the second in Iraq on November 18, and the winner will qualify for a global playoff that includes teams from Africa, South America, Oceania and North America.

“White” has the qualities

For his part, technical analyst Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadhi confirmed that the UAE national team still possesses all the elements that qualify it to return strongly in the decisive stage of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, noting that “the competition is still open until the final rounds, and that hope exists until the last minute of the qualifiers, as long as there is spirit and determination among the players and the technical staff.”

Al-Awadhi said: “If we look at the individual and collective capabilities that the team possesses compared to the rest of the Asian continent’s teams, we can say without the slightest bias that (Al-Abyad) deserved to qualify a long time ago, as the distinguished elements it possesses, whether at the level of skill or football thought, make it capable of overcoming any difficult stage, and the most important thing now is to invest in previous experiences in a positive spirit.”

He added: “The biggest role in the next stage falls on the players and the technical staff, as they are the basis for making the difference. What is required is to double the effort and work with full concentration, not only to achieve qualification, but to confirm that UAE football is moving in the right direction.”

Al-Awadhi concluded: “I am confident that (Al-Abyad) will return stronger, and will respond on the field to all challenges, and what we need now is unity of ranks and continued great public support… When the will of the players and fans is united, the road to the World Cup becomes closer than we imagine.”

In turn, former national team and Al Jazira club player Youssef Abdelaziz confirmed that the team still has a real and strong chance of reaching the World Cup, despite the difficulty of the task in the final stage of the Asian qualifiers.

Abdulaziz said: “What distinguishes the team is that it does not give up easily, and this is a characteristic of big teams. It is true that the journey has become more difficult, but we are still in the heart of the competition, and the opportunity is still in our hands as long as the players maintain their focus and collective spirit. Football does not recognize despair, but rather giving until the last minute, and I am confident that our players are capable of overturning all expectations.

He added: “The past stage was full of lessons and lessons, and we must benefit from them instead of dwelling on mistakes. The national team includes a promising young generation that possesses talent and ambition, but it needs continued support from the fans, the media, and everyone who loves Emirates football. “What we saw of the public rallying around Al-Abyad in Doha was honorable and worthy of praise, and we must maintain this momentum in the next stage.”

He continued: “My message to the players is to believe in their luck, and to the fans to continue their support without stopping. This stage requires one spirit that brings us all together, because the dream is still possible, and reality confirms that we have all the capabilities to reach the World Cup.”

Need patience

As for former national team player Daoud Ali, he said, “The national team is on the right path towards building a strong and sustainable future for Emirati football.” He added: “Today, the national team has a solid foundation on which it can build for years to come, thanks to the development vision of the Football Association, which gave the technical staff a diversity of choices and created greater competition among the players.” This project needs some patience, but it is undoubtedly a strategic step in the right direction. What we need now is continuity and confidence in the approach that has been established.”

He added: “It is true that we went through a difficult period that witnessed some failures, most notably not qualifying directly for the World Cup, but that does not mean the end of the road, and the opportunity is still in our hands, and the tournament is not over yet. We must close the page on the past, and deal with the next stage with the mentality of a victor, not a loser. We have a distinguished group of players capable of carrying the (white) flag and representing the Emirates in the best way.”

The former Shabab Al-Ahly player pointed out that the recent qualifiers revealed promising new faces that will have great importance in the coming years, saying: “One of the most notable gains of the past qualifiers was the emergence of young players like Sultan Adel, who proved that he is a striker with special characteristics, whether in movements or exploiting opportunities. I expect him to play a pivotal role in the decisive stage of the upcoming qualifiers. Such examples give us hope that (white) has a generation capable of making a difference in the near future.”

• Football does not recognize despair, but rather dedication until the last minute.