On Saturday, Sheikh Salman met with HRH Sheikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Honorary President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) FA and the UAE National Security Advisor, UAE FA President Yousef Al Serkal, UAE FA vice president Mohamed Thani Al Rumaithi, UAE Judo Association President Mohamed Bin Thaloob and UAE Higher Council of Youth vice president Mohammed Ibrahim Al Mahmoud.
Sheikh Salman thanked Sheikh Hazza for the warm welcome, and underlined the key role Sheikh Hazza plays in supporting the development of football improvement throughout the UAE.
Sheikh Salman also congratulated Sheikh Hazza for the third-placed finish achieved by the UAE at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Australia, saying that the result reflects both the continuous improvement of the national team and the efforts the UAE FA made to prepare the team for the continental finals.
The AFC President added that he was sure that the UAE’s success in Australia would provide renewed impetus for the national team to garner even more success, especially given the qualified technical staff and highly capable players they have at their disposal.
Sheikh Salman also discussed the AFC programs and initiatives aimed at developing all aspects of the game in Asia, stressing that the unity of Asia’s footballing family would be the main guarantee of success.
Sheikh Hazza praised the vital role being played by the AFC, under the leadership of Sheikh Salman, to raise the standard of football in Asia, hailing the achievements the AFC has made at all levels in such a short period of time and adding that the improved standards were reflected during the Asian Cup where the level of competition was extremely high.
Sheikh Hazza also confirmed the UAE’s support for Sheikh Salman to continue leading the AFC, praising the work done by Sheikh Salman since he assumed the role of AFC President.