'Diab's spirit is with you'

Awana Ahmad Al Mosabi, the father of former UAE Olympic team winger Diab Awana, has given a rallying cry to the squad heading to the London Games to finish what his son had started. The 21-year-old Bani Yas regular played a pivotal role in coach Mahdi Ali's golden generation of talent until he was killed in a car accident last September. The UAE squad that impressively qualified for this summer's Olympics had been largely together from the age of 15. Together they won silver at the 2010 Asian Games, the 2006 U17 Gulf Cup, the 2008 U19 Asian Cup, and the 2010 U23 Gulf Cup. Awana was also part of the 2009 U20 World Cup squad that made the quarter-finals.    Famed for a back-heeled penalty against Lebanon in the UAE senior side's unsuccessful bid to qualify for  the World Cup 2014, Awana featured in the first of six third-round Olympic qualifying matches, including a surprise 0-0 draw against Australia in Adelaide just four days before his death in Abu Dhabi while driving back from training in Al Ain.The team, captained by Awana's best friend Hamdan Al Kamali, was able to qualify for London in their remaining five games, culminating with a last gasp 3-2 win over Uzbekistan in Tashkent in March. But now Awana's father is asking them to go even better at the Olympics, where they face tough opposition with games against Uruguay at Old Trafford on July 26, Great Britain at Wembley on July 29 and Senegal in Coventry on August 1. Awana's father made an emotional plea on the sidelines of the team's honouring ceremony at Abu Dhabi's Armed Forces Officers Club, where the footballer's memory was honoured by Shaikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Honorary President of the UAE FA and President of Abu Dhabi Sports Council. An emotional Al Mosabi told Gulf News: “All the players [travelling to London] have promised that they will do what Diab was trying to do all along and they will fulfil the dreams of Diab by completing what he was trying to achieve — to go forward to the championship in his place, where he could not. “In the group decider against Uzbekistan they wore a picture of Diab on their shirts and played for the late footballer throughout the remaining qualifiers until the end. “They all played together since they were children and all the players going to London know Diab is still with them in spirit, everywhere they go and in everything they achieve. “I have a great feeling that the players will do a very good job in London and make a very good appearance and they will bring a good result for the country and do us all proud.” Al Mosabi added: “I'm totally speechless as to how and why Diab won't be going with them. But this is God's will. It was Diab's time. The team will go further without him and I trust everything will be alright.” Skipper Al Kamali, believed to be the last person to speak to him on that fateful night, said the players will give their all in memory of Awana. “He [Diab] had a lot of dreams and it's for him that we achieved all this. He'll always remain in our hearts and we'll never forget him. I miss him enormously,” he told Fifa.com recently.