All good things come to those who wait, or so goes the proverb. One footballer who is familiar with this maxim is Ali Mabkhout. The 26-year-old forward has gradually developed into one of most prolific goalscorers in the United Arab Emirates and in Asia, where he finished top goalscorer at last year.
Mabkhout was born in Abu Dhabi in 1990, four months after UAE took part in the FIFA World Cupâ„¢ for the first and only time. At the age of 19, he made his UAE pro league debut with Al Jazira, in 2009. He rapidly established himself in the side and was subsequently called up to represent his country at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Egypt 2009.
After reaching the quarter-finals of that competition, Mabkhout continued his international apprenticeship, competing in the 2012 Men’s Olympic Football Tournament in London, prior to earning a call-up to the senior national team later that year.
“It’s such a great honour to be asked to play for the senior side,” the Emirati striker told FIFA.com. “It’s also a big responsibility, and you have to prove that you’re worthy.”
Since 2012, Mabkhout has participated in the 2013 Gulf Cup of Nations, where he scored two goals, the 2014 Gulf Cup of Nations, where he topped the scoring charts with five goals, and the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, where he again finished as top goalscorer as UAE claimed a creditable third place.
“We achieved that success with God’s help,” he said. “Every player has to set himself an objective and do everything he can to reach it. This method has helped me to make great progress over the past few years.”
At Australia 2015, Mabkhout managed to score the fastest goal in the history of the Asian Cup, just 14 seconds into UAE’s group-stage win over Bahrain. The accomplishment even saw him earn a spot in the Guinness Book of Records.
“I was very happy with the goal – it gave me a real mental boost,” recalled the powerful Al Jazira attacker. “I never thought that my name and my country would ever end up in the Guinness Book of Records. I hope that I can do even better in the future.”
Demanding pool
Following UAE’s unexpected run to the semi-finals of the Asian Cup, Mahdi Ali’s men continued to impress in the second round of the qualifying campaign for Russia 2018, during which Mabkhout found the net on five occasions.
In the third round, the Emiratis were placed in a group containing Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Iraq. Despite the section’s challenging appearance, they got off to a fantastic start, defeating Japan (2-1) – currently the best team in Asia, in Mabkhout’s eyes – in Saitama.
“Our win in Japan was definitely worth shouting about,” he said. “If you want to qualify for the World Cup, you have to be able to beat anyone and believe in yourself. We lost the next match to Australia, but we didn’t play badly. That defeat doesn’t mean much as we’re still in the early stages. The win against Japan really encouraged us and filled us with confidence.”
In their third match, UAE met Thailand in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, emerging victorious (3-1) courtesy of a brace from Mabkhout, who put an end to a barren spell in front of goal that had haunted him since the beginning of the year.
“A striker must be confident and patient at the same time. He needs to know that the goals will eventually come and boost his confidence. I’m hoping to score again in the next few games; I really believe in myself.”
A goal or two would be extremely handy for UAE in their away clash with Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, as it would take them one step closer to a long-awaited return to the global stage, an experience of which Mabkhout got a taste at the 2009 U-20 World Cup.
“Taking part in a World Cup is every player’s dream,” he explained. “Some of us played at the U-20 World Cup together – the atmosphere there was incredible. I can just imagine what it must be like at the senior World Cup. All of the players in the team dream of pulling on the Emirati jersey there.”
Mabkhout will again need all of his reserves of patience in order to accomplish that goal, and simultaneously provide all Emirati supporters with an unforgettable moment of joy.
Sources: FIFA.com, Lagardère Sports
Source: the-afc.com