Kuala Lumpur: The 2016 AFC Player of the Year Omar Abdulrahman is by far the most famous Emirati footballer across the globe, largely due to his impressive performances at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup when the United Arab Emirates won bronze, their best-ever result on foreign soil.
But raise the topic with any Emirati and most, especially older generations, would unhesitatingly tell you the greatest man to kick a ball in the country’s history is Adnan Al Talyani.
As the man who holds the UAE’s records for the all-time most caps and most international goals celebrates his 53rd birthday, the-AFC.com welcomes Adnan Al Talyani amongst its ‘Asian Icons’.
Age: 53
Clubs: Al Shaab
International appearances (Goals): 161 (52)
Road to Stardom
When 15-year-old volleyball player Adnan Al Talyani participated at one of the exhibition football tournaments organised by his Sharjah-based club, Al Shaab, he did not imagine it would be a moment that would change his life forever.
Then club president Sheikh Faisal Al Qassimi was in the audience, and he was so impressed by Al Talyani’s qualities that he had a word with the youngster after the game.
“Football is where your future is,” were the words Sheikh Al Qassimi told the talented youngster. And indeed, two years later, Al Talyani would be making his senior debut for the club, on the green pitch rather that at the volleyball court.
In a career that spanned 20 years, Al Talyani remained loyal to his boyhood club, even when Al Shaab suffered the agony of relegation to the second division, he stayed and helped them win back promotion to the top flight.
The highlight of Al Talyani’s club career came in the 1994-95 season when he led Al Shaab to the final of the Asian Cup Winners Cup - the only time the club reached the final of an AFC competition. The striker’s performances en route to the final won him the tournament’s best player award.
Lights of Rome
It was October 17, 1989. The UAE are trailing 0-1 to China PR with three minutes to go at the National Stadium in Singapore in the final round of the 1990 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Defender Khalil Ghanem rose high to head in a corner-kick to equalise for the UAE.
“I can see the Lights of Rome!” shouted Emirati commentator Adnan Hamad at the sight of his namesake Adnan Al Talyani nutmegging a Chinese defender before firing with his left-foot to turn the tie around a minute before the final whistle.
Hamad’s prophetic words entered the history books of UAE football as Al Talyani went on to score an equaliser against Korea Republic at the same ground 11 days later to book the UAE’s tickets to Rome for their first, and to date only, FIFA World Cup appearance.
At the time Al Talyani and company made their World Cup debut, the UAE had only existed as a country for 18 years.
Dubai was a long way off becoming the globally recognised destination it is today. So, the UAE’s trip to Italy was more about flying the flag than it was about getting results against far more experienced sides like would-be champions West Germany and Yugoslavia.
The Whites managed to score twice in the Finals but conceded 11 and finished bottom of the group, yet their legacy as “Generation 90” remains one to look up to with respect for UAE footballers and fans alike.
Nearly There
Six years after the historic appearance at Italia 90, the Whites were once again preparing for a once-in-a-lifetime tournament.
The UAE was to host the AFC Asian Cup for the first time in its history, and the dreams of a nation rested on the shoulders of the squad which included a number of “Generation 90” veterans like Al Talyani and goalkeeper Muhsen Musabbeh alongside youngsters like Munther Ali.
At 32, Al Talyani was vice-captain and led by example, scoring crucial goals against Kuwait and Indonesia to help the hosts progress past the group stage.
At the quarter-final, the UAE needed a golden goal in extra time to overcome Iraq before despatching Kuwait again at the semi-final.
In front of 60,000 fans at Zayed Sports City, they faced neighbours Saudi Arabia in the final. The Saudis had already lifted the trophy twice and lost the previous edition’s final against Japan in 1992.
As the game headed into extra time with a goalless draw, Al Talyani was withdrawn as his legs could no longer cope with another 120 minutes of action after playing the entire 90 at the semi-final against Kuwait. The teams had to be separated by penalty shoot-outs and there was agony for the Emiratis at the end.
Legacy
Long before the AFC Asian Cup commanded global viewership in millions, before YouTube videos brought Omar Abdulrahman’s trademark frizzy-hair and mesmerising skills to screens across the globe, there was a time when Al Talyani and his teammates brought joy to UAE fans year after year, going largely unnoticed abroad, but capturing the imaginations of youngsters aspiring to be stars of the future.
The 1996 AFC Asian Cup remains to date the UAE’s greatest footballing achievement alongside competing in the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Adnan Al Talyani was a crucial part of both achievements. And will thus be remembered as his nation’s finest and one of Asian football’s greatest icons.
Photos: Getty Images
Source: the-afc.com