UAE coach Bento warns players not to take Hong Kong lightly in AFC clash

Head coach Paulo Bento has warned his United Arab Emirates players against underestimating Hong Kong, China when the two sides meet in their opening AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 Group C tie on Sunday.
The East Asian team are the lowest ranked side in the competition but Bento said his players must be cautious in their approach.
“We have a lot of respect for our opponents. They play an intense game and are very good at making transitions, so I don’t think the match is going to be easy at all,” said the former Korea Republic head coach.
“Moreover, we have a fairly young team and while it’s a great opportunity for the players to experience a competition of this stature, it would have been great if a couple of our more experienced players, who are nursing injuries, had been available for the first match.”
“But in the end, what matters is the attitude and despite being young and maybe less experienced than the players in many other teams, these boys have the hunger to make their country proud, which to me is the utmost priority,” said Bento.
Hong Kong head coach Jorn Andersen was pragmatic in his expectations, despite his side qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup for the first time since 1968 and advancing to the 2022 Asian Games semi-finals, also for the first time.
“We are coming here after being away for over five decades and we are very aware of the gap that exists between us and some of the higher-ranked teams. But on a positive note, it is a great opportunity for Hong Kong, China football,” said Andersen. Despite setting low expectations, the Norwegian said the recent addition of players such as Everton Camargo and Michael Udebuluzor had already raised the bar and fostered a renewed sense of confidence in the team.
“Players like Everton and Udebuluzor have had an immediate impact on the team and they have raised the standard of football in the national team. While our larger agenda is to gain experience from this great competition, we want to remember that anything can happen in football and we will do our best,” said Andersen.