The UAE national football team will begin an internal training camp tomorrow in Abu Dhabi, lasting until the 30th of this month. During the camp, the team will play two friendly matches against Armenia and the Faroe Islands as part of its preparations for upcoming events, most notably the 27th Gulf Cup, which will be hosted by Saudi Arabia next September, and the finals of the 2027 Asian Cup, scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia from January 7 to February 5, 2027. The technical staff of the national team, led by Romanian coach Olaru Cosmin, has announced a new 23-man squad, including six players making their first call-up: Yuri Cesar, Joelherme Bala (Al Ahli youth), Ousmane Camara (Al Shabab), Mamadou Coulibaly (Al Jazira), Leonardo Amemiche (Al Dhafra), and Glauber Lima (Al Nasr). "This is an important addition," stated former international player and technical analyst Ali Musri Al Zahi, commenting on the new squad. He noted that the new faces are a valuable addition but will not hide the technical issues the team is facing. Ali Musri pointed out that looking back at the team's last matches in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and the 2025 Arab Cup in Doha, the main weaknesses were the lack of depth in midfield, especially in building attacks and creating chances, as well as poor ball possession and an inability to control the flow of important matches. Coach Cosmin relies on a medium and low defensive block with fast attacking transitions led by Nicolas Jimenez, Caio Lucas, and Yahya Al Ghazi. However, as the level of these players drops or they are tightly marked, the team loses its attacking identity. Ali Musri also highlighted recurring defensive errors, particularly in crosses and set-pieces, as well as weak marking and positioning. He mentioned that new players like Bala, Yuri, and Camara, along with the return of Abdullah Hamad, will give the team better options for attacking transitions, but the absence of Lucas Pimenta and Alaeddine Zuhair still affects the defensive side. Regarding the expected lineup, one can rely on Marcus Miloni at right-back and Richard O'Connor at left-back, with central defenders Khalifa Al Hamadi and Sasha. In the pivot, Isam Faiq and Abdullah Hamad will play, with Nicolas Jimenez in front of them. The attacking trio will consist of Ousmane Camara, Yuri, and Bala. Ali Musri emphasized that the most significant problem still facing the team is the absence of a classic striker capable of leading the attack. "Despite bringing in new players, the team still lacks a central forward who can lead the line. This is a flaw that coach Cosmin must address in the coming stages," the expert concluded. It is worth noting that the new squad includes: Ali Khussein, Adel Al Hosani, Hamd Al Makbali (goalkeepers), Badr Naser, Richard O'Connor, Glauber Lima, Sasha, Khalifa Al Hamadi, Leonardo Amemiche, Marcus Miloni, Mohammed Rabe, Joelherme da Silva, Ali Saleh, Abdullah Hamad, Mohammed Abbas, Mamadou Coulibaly, Yahya Nader, Isam Faiq, Nicolas Jimenez, Yahya Al Ghazi, Harib Abdullah, Ousmane Camara, Yuri Cesar, and Bruno Oliveira.
