SHARJAH // A wave of optimism is sweeping through the UAE camp as they prepare to face Uzbekistan in the Asian Cup qualifying game. The 5-0 win in Malaysia last Wednesday has been the stimulus for this change after the disappointment of a premature exit from the Gulf Cup in Oman. "When you win a game by a healthy margin, you enter the next with a lot of confidence," the team manager Ismail Rashid said.
"Your morale is high and you are eager to get on the field. "That is the atmosphere in the team at the moment and I am confident we will get a positive result. Every player has realised his responsibilities and is taking them seriously. The team are showing a lot of fight on the field. There is more cohesion and the Malaysia win was the result of teamwork." The players understand that Uzbekistan and Malaysia are not in the same league. They know the central Asians will be tougher opponents. Yet there is no dearth in optimism.
Walid Abbas, who got his first start in Kuala Lumpur and should be a key figure in central defence, said: "We respect the Uzbekistan team, but we are not scared. "We will give our best on the field and hopefully that will be good enough for a win. "We are playing at home. We want to win this game to seal our berth in the Asian Cup. It is in our hands, and we are mentally and technically ready for the game.
"I am thankful to the management for the trust they have shown in me and hope to take on more responsibilities. I feel I have a lot to offer my team and my country, and I hope I will be able to perform at my best at all times." One major change for Walid and his fellow defenders from the game against Malaysia will be size of the Uzbeks, who are physically imposing. "But our confidence is high," the defender Mohammed Fayez said. "We want to get the three points. Then we can focus on improving our position in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers."
Mahmoud Khamis, who impressed as a substitute against Malaysia and could start tonight, added: "Physically they might be bigger and stronger than us, but football is a game of skills, not strength." arizvi@thenational.ae