UAE women’s team cautious ahead of Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers

On the evening of June 25, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Women’s Football Team began training at the Provincial Sports Complex Training Ground in preparation for the Group E Qualifiers of the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.

The UAE Women’s Team trained comfortably at the Provincial Sports Complex Training Ground.

During the session, Head Coach Vera Pauw displayed a cautious approach, allowing media access for only the first 15 minutes before requesting all unrelated personnel to leave the training area.

The players warmed up lightly with the ball to get used to the weather and grass conditions.

As noted by reporters, the players began with light ball control drills to acclimate to the local weather and grass surface, similar to that of the official competition venue. The session then shifted to physical conditioning, including speed drills, jump training, and off-ball movement exercises. Overall, the squad showed good physical readiness, with no players requiring separate training. A number of naturalized foreign players also showed good integration with the rest of the team.

Coach Vera Pauw’s associates focused on improving the players’ jumping power.

According to the training schedule, the UAE Women’s Team will continue practicing at the same venue in the days leading up to their opening match against Guam at 4:00 p.m. on June 29 at Viet Tri Stadium. Just three days later, the team will face host Vietnam in a decisive clash at 7:00 p.m. on July 2. That match is expected to determine the single team advancing to the 2026 Asian Cup Finals in Australia.

Quoc Dai