Pakistan football team to clash with UAE legends tomorrow

DUBAI: Pakistan football team will take on the UAE legends at the Dubai Police officers’ stadium on Wednesday (tomorrow), it was announced on Monday.

The match will be held under the patronage of the Consulate General of Pakistan and will be attended by Ahsanullah Khan, Ambassador of Pakistan to the UAE, as part of the celebrations of the National day of Pakistan, and the qualification of the UAE legends to the Football Legends World Cup to be hosted by Thailand later next month.

According to Naveed Elahi, Consulate representative, the idea for the event came from the proprietor of the Pak-Ravi Group, Abdul Hameed, who spoke to him about organising such a friendly gathering in Dubai.

"Considering my love for sports, I immediately contacted the Pakistan Football federation’s general secretary who was very happy to receive an invitation to play a match in Dubai. I would personally like to thank Bader Hareb, team manager of the UAE legends for all his support and encouragement which facilitated the hosting of the match," he said.

Abdul Hameed said it is not the first time for him to be involved in promoting sports. "I was happy when Raza Abidi brought to my knowledge that the UAE legends had qualified for the legends’ World Cup in Thailand and that the Pakistanis have agreed to come to Dubai."I do remember a few good friends of mine who were Ex-Counsel Generals and Consular of Pakistan in Dubai.

The Consulate has always supported us when we needed their assistance and worked hand in hand with us to promote and extend the already flourishing and well established relationships between the two countries," he said."The football governing body of Pakistan have accepted our invitation on a very short notice which underlines the great admire and respect they have for the UAE."I might be the oldest Pakistani in the business community here; still I have the same spirit to promote sports.

Therefore, we could see at the head table my elder son Waheed Abdul Hameed is also very much involved in the Pakistani sports activities," he said.

Mohammed Ali, speaking on behalf of the legends thanked the organisers for availing them the opportunity to take on Pakistan National Team in Dubai as part of their prepartions for their upcoming commitments.

"We are also preparing for the Gulf Legends Championship to be held in Umm Al Quwain from March 30 to April 6," he said.

Meanwhile, the UAE legends that made history for their country and advanced to the World Cup final in Italy in 1990 include the country’s ace Adnan Al Talyani who scored the decisive goal against China that gave them a line up in the most prestigious competition in the world.

Other players include the formidable duo of Fahad Khamis and Khaled Ismael, Nasser Khamis, keeper Abdul Qader Hassan and the twins Eisa and Abdulla Meer.