UAE Football Enters a New Era Under Zlatko Dalic with Gulf Cup Ambitions

With a new imported coach and a raft of potential debutants who learnt the game overseas, it might be assumed the latest fresh start for UAE football will be crafted by foreign expertise. And yet, when the national team begin the Zlatko Dalic era at the Arabian Gulf Cup in Saudi Arabia this week, their most valuable insider could be someone from much closer to home. The UAE play Yemen in Jeddah on Thursday evening, marking their opening pool match in the eight-team tournament and the first competitive outing under Dalic.

Having arrived this summer following a sparkling spell with his native Croatia, optimism abounds that Dalic can work his magic with the UAE, too. One of the secrets of Dalic’s success as a coach has been the way he empowers his staff and players. The coaching team he has brought with him contains some impressive names, including assistant Vedran Corluka, who played Premier League football for Manchester City and Tottenham, and Igor Biscan, who manages the UAE’s Olympic team after winning the Uefa Champions League with Liverpool. An intriguing addition to the staff is Ismail Matar, the former golden boy of UAE football.

It is fitting that the new era starts with the Gulf Cup, a tournament the UAE have won twice and in which Matar was central to both victories. In 2007, the Al Wahda forward topped the goalscoring charts, and six years later, his savvy was vital to the success against Iraq. Now back involved in a coaching capacity, Matar is inspiring a new generation of players like Sultan Adil.

The identity of the national team has altered massively since Matar's playing days. While Emirati players such as Adil, Khalid Essa and Harib Abdallah remain the side's beating heart, the squad also features naturalized citizens who add an international dimension. Among the new recruits, the most excitement surrounds Brazil-born duo Guilherme Bala and Yuri Cesar, whose impressive performances with Shabab Al Ahli have brought dynamism to the attack and solved previous issues with set-pieces.

Looking ahead, Dalic is optimistic about the national team's future, stating that their primary ambition is to advance past the group stage and ultimately win the competition.