UAE put through paces ahead of glamour friendly with Argentina in Abu Dhabi - in pictures

The UAE have begun preparations for this week’s marquee friendly against Argentina in Abu Dhabi.

The national team, who take on the World Cup entrants at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium on Wednesday, were put through their paces at Zayed Sports City on Sunday night by manager Rodolfo Arruabarrena.

Wednesday’s match, Argentina’s final warm-up fixture before they head to Qatar for the World Cup, was sold out in less than 24 hours.

The UAE, meanwhile, have a week-long camp in the capital, where they face Kazakhstan in another friendly on Saturday. That game takes place at Al Nahyan Stadium.

Arruabarrena's side, who met on Sunday following the conclusion to Round 10 of the Adnoc Pro League, are preparing for the Arabian Gulf Cup in Iraq in January, where they have been drawn in Group B alongside Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.

Ahmed Al Tunaiji, supervisor to the national team, said the squad were highly motivated for the encounter with Argentina, adding: “Our players are fully ready physically and technically, as we reached the middle of the league championship, which this season is witnessing high technical level and intense competition between teams.”

Al Tunaiji also noted “the remarkable public attendance during the matches over the past 10 rounds, and this will reflect positively on the players during the two friendlies against Argentina and Kazakhstan - in which the technical staff seeks to get the most from the team.”