20 players participated in the matches played by the national football team in the decisive stage of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, while six of them registered to appear in the six matches that the “Whites” have played so far, establishing themselves in the squad of the Portuguese coach, Paulo Bento, led by them. The goalkeeper, Khaled Issa, is considered to have participated the most in the qualifiers, with a full mark (540 minutes), one minute ahead of his colleague Hareb Abdullah.
Khaled Issa’s participation was effective when he conceded only four goals, making him the goalkeeper who conceded the least goals in the first group, ahead of Iranian goalkeeper Ali Reza and Uzbekistan’s Otker Yusupov, who each conceded five goals, while keeping a clean sheet during the matches between Kyrgyzstan and Qatar.
As for Hareb Abdullah, he mastered his role in all matches, and scored three goals out of the 12 goals scored by the team in the final stage of the qualifiers, while Fabio Lima scored four goals, player Yahya Al-Ghassani scored two goals, and Ali Saleh, Khaled Al-Dhanhani and Marcos Vinicius each scored a goal.
Khalifa Al Hammadi came third as the team’s most participating player in the World Cup qualifiers, with an average of 495 minutes, as he did not complete the match against Kyrgyzstan because he was replaced in the second half.
Sharjah defender, Khaled Al-Dhanhani, appeared as a starter in five matches, and came as a substitute in the Kyrgyzstan match, with an average of 466 minutes, followed by Al-Wasl player, Caio Canedo, who played 434 minutes without scoring any goal, as he participated in four basic matches and entered. In two matches as a substitute, Shabab Al-Ahly player, Yahya Al-Ghassani, came in sixth place after playing five matches as a starter and coming as a substitute in the North Korea match with 430. minute.
Al Ain player, Mohamed Abbas, came last in the list that participated in the World Cup qualifiers, as he appeared for only one minute.
National team coach Pinto was keen to stabilize the back line during the first three matches of the qualifiers against Qatar, Iran and North Korea, with the presence of the quartet Khaled Al-Dhanhani, Khalifa Al-Hammadi, Kouame and Abdullah Idris, but he was forced to make changes to the defense line with the Uzbekistan match, due to Kouame’s absence. Due to the accumulation of cards, Mohammed Al-Attas took his place, and the changes in the back line continued during the matches between Kyrgyzstan and Qatar, with the appearance of the duo Zayed Al-Zaabi. And Marcus Vinicius.
It is noteworthy that the national team occupies third place in Group A with 10 points, three points behind the Uzbek team, the “runner-up,” and the Iranian team, the “leader,” with 16 points.
Tawfiq: I fear that Khaled Issa will be exhausted
The former Ajman goalkeeper coach, Omar Tawfiq, stressed that the numbers recorded by the international goalkeeper, Khaled Issa, with “Al-Abyad”, during the decisive stage of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, confirm that he has reached the stage of maturity, as a result of the many international matches that he played with the national team. National team in the last two years, and strengthened it by winning the AFC Champions League championship with Al Ain Club in the last edition.
Tawfiq told Emirates Today: “In numbers and levels, Khaled Issa has become the number one goalkeeper in Emirati football, and he has contributed a clear effort in helping the national team achieve positive results in the World Cup qualifiers, but I fear that this goalkeeper, in the coming period, will be exposed. For exhaustion or injury, due to the successive matches he plays, whether with the national team or with his club, in all the local and continental competitions in which he competes this season.
He added: “The technical staff of the national team must work to provide an alternative close to the level of Khaled Issa, and I believe that the opportunity came to the Portuguese coach, Paulo Bento, on a golden platter, in the Gulf Cup tournament in which Khaled Issa should not participate, and the opportunity is given to any Another goalkeeper to prepare him to be ready to participate in the (White) matches in the World Cup qualifiers, in the event of Khaled Issa’s absence for any reason.”
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