The UAE Under-20 football team has announced its final squad of 26 players, preparing for the upcoming AFC U-20 Asian Cup qualifiers. The tournament is set to take place in Thailand from 29 August to 6 September and serves as a pathway to the 2027 AFC U-20 Asian Cup in China.
Final Preparations in Thailand
The team recently departed for Thailand to commence the final phase of their preparation programme for the qualifiers. The UAE will be competing in a group alongside Iraq, Turkmenistan, and hosts Thailand.
Squad Breakdown
The final squad includes the following players:
Goalkeepers
Soltan Muhannad Abdulaziz, Hamdan Al Hammadi, and Joshua Bentley.
Defenders
Soltan Al Amri, Ahmed Ikrami, Bati Khamees, Soltan Qasim, Salem Issam, Ibrahim Yusuf Abdullah Issa, Qais Ahmad Al-Safadi, and Hamid Rashid.
Midfielders
Yazan Al Dabbai, Mohammed Nasser, Salem Jamal, Mohammed Ali, and Abdullah Munad.
Forwards
Ali Adnan, Elias Salia, Mohammed Jamal, Mamadou Aliou Diallo, Mubarak Al Bloushi, Adam Ahmed, Soltan Saleh, and Abdullah Hatim, along with Vinayak Muller.
Coaching Leadership
The team is under the direction of Dutch coach Peter van der Veen, who has recently taken on the role. This participation marks a significant first test for the coach as he leads “the young Whites” in competitive play.
Qualification Format
According to the tournament structure, the qualifiers will be held in a round-robin format, with the group winners automatically advancing to the finals. Additionally, the best seven second-placed teams across the various groups will also qualify for the final tournament.
As the young Emirati players gear up for this challenging assignment, hopes are high for a successful campaign in Thailand.