‘Matar ideal choice’

The UAE Olympic national soccer team’s head coach Mahdi Ali is hopeful that the wealth of experience of ace Ismail Matar will help his campaign as the Whites prepare to show their best at the London Games. “Matar’s charisma and professional attitude will definitely help. It’s my opinion that whenever he’s bodily and mentally fit, Matar is of great use to any coach. I’m truly delighted to have him in the squad because he possesses the practical experience and plays in more than one position, and above all, he has a strong desire to appear in the Games,” Ali said to justify his decision to use Matar in the buildup for the Olympic challenge. “It’s a dream that came true, both for me and for my country,” Matar commented. “I’m truly obliged to our national coach Mahdi Ali for giving me the opportunity to play for the Olympic national team and the boys who did a lot for their nation since the days of the U-18 national team which won the AFC U-18 Cup in 2008.” “I hope to live up to the expectations and join hands with the youngsters to make our presence felt during the Games,” he added. Matar, Al Hammadi and Ali Khusaif are the three overage players who were selected by Ali to improve their chances in the football competition of the 2012 London Olympics. Matar and his colleagues were warmly and enthusiastically received by the players of the Olympic national team during the current European tour. They say they are friendly and helpful on and off the pitch. “We are working together in great harmony. There are no big differences age-wise between us,” the players said. Matar was born in 1983 and has been fighting on four fronts during his early days in the sport. “I have been playing for Al Wahda, the senior national team, the Olympic national team and the U-18 national team since 2001 when I was 18 years old,” he said. In 2003, he captained the U-20 national team to reach the last eight of the Fifa U-20 World Cup where he was named Fifa’s best upcoming player. Four years later, Matar led the senior squad to make history by winning the 18th edition of the Gulf Cup in Abu Dhabi 2007. This is over and above the many successes which he has achieved with his club Al Wahda in the local competitions.