Al Rayyan, Jan. 13 -- Head coach Paulo Bento will warn his United Arab Emirates players against underestimating Hong Kong, China when the two sides meet in their opening AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 (TM) Group C tie on Sunday.
The East Asian team is 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...