UAE’s top 25 greatest football players ranked: Part 1

First in a three-part series. How to assemble a list of the country’s 25 greatest footballers? From personal observation, over the past two decades. To evaluate those who played before the middle 1990s, a close study of archived material, including video, was a requirement. Even more important were conversations with friends, relatives and former club officials about the skill levels of players from the early years of the country. But the main determinant in choosing these 25 was how “influential” each player was to club and country while also taking into account raw talent and individual achievements. 25 Essa Santo Ahmed The former Al Wahda and current Al Ahli right-back made his first-team...