Social Wrap: Hits and misses

1st January 2019

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Kuala Lumpur: The clock is ticking down and teams have already started arriving for the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019. The-AFC.com tours social media to bring you the best bits from the various camps.



Whether you're banging them in at the training ground or breaking your international duck in style, goals always bring a smile to the faces of players and fans alike. Missing the target can also be fun to watch, under the right circumstances, as we find out from Qatar's goalkeeper.

With just two goals in their last four games, the UAE will hope a new kit will bring them good luck on home soil as they look to replicate their 1996 heroics. Will they achieve their goal?



Bull's eye

Three-time champions Saudi Arabia were one of the first arrivals to the UAE, landing in Dubai on December 22. The Green Falcons immediately got down to business on the training pitch.

Winger Hattan Bahebri may have impressed coach Juan Antonio Pizzi with the accuracy of his finishing, but the video team might not be as pleased with his thunderous effort that knocked down their camera. Small price to pay for the sake of continental glory!

 

View this post on Instagram


الله يعوضكم بكاميرا جديدة???⚽️

A post shared by هتان باهبري/HATTAN BAHBRI (@bahbri27) on Dec 26, 2018 at 12:19pm PST

Up and running

Another player hitting the target this week was Australian winger Chris Ikonomidis. The 23-year-old opened his Socceroos account in style, hitting home on the half-volley in the 5-0 friendly victory against Oman in Dubai on Sunday.

Ikonomidis is set to appear in his first major tournament in an Australia shirt, and with a number of injuries striking Graham Arnold's squad, he can be hopeful the UAE continues to bring him further luck in front of goal.

 

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First goal for Australia ?? @socceroos

A post shared by Chris Ikonomidis (@chrisikonomidis) on Dec 30, 2018 at 7:53pm PST

Not so clinical

Unlike Bahebri and Ikonomidis, Qatar's Yousuf Hassan was not so clinical in front of goal. The goalkeeper revealed to @afcasiancup that he has always dreamt of being a striker, so we put him to the test. The result wasn't so great as you can see in the video.

To be fair to the 22-year-old, he did have to do ten spins before attempting a kick in a "Dizzy goals challenge". Sorry, Yousuf. Coach Felix Sanchez is probably better off sticking to Almoez Ali up front.

 

Going Green

Few days ahead of their opening day encounter against Bahrain, hosts the UAE have launched new home and away kits. The team retained their trademark all-white home kit with red stripes on the shoulders.

The biggest change came in their away shirt, reintroducing the green shirt which they last wore in the 1997 Confederations Cup instead of their usual red. The away kit features black shorts and sleeves. Hit or miss?

On the drop

Japan's Genki Haraguchi engaged in an intriguing individual training where he hit balls dropped from a high altitude on the volley. And although we cannot really see whether his strike has hit the target, judging by his celebration we guess it has!

Only two players in the current Japan squad, Maya Yoshida and Yuya Osako (both 10), have more international goals than Haraguchi's eight. Will the special training help the 27-year-old bag a volley or two during the AFC Asian Cup?

 


Source: the-afc.com

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