The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has selected Khalid Eissa, the goalkeeper of the UAE National Football Team, and Al Ain FC, as an Ambassador for the AFC Dream Asia Foundation.

Former UAE Women’s National Team player and current coach Noura Al Mazrouei has also been selected as an Ambassadress for the Foundation’s Femal Category.

The Foundation was launched in 2017 as a platform encompassing various community aspects, including child protection, education, social inclusion, needs assessment, and support for projects of the AFC member associations.

The selection of international goalkeeper Khalid Issa comes in recognition of his outstanding performances with the UAE National Team in various regional and continental tournaments, his consistent excellence with Al Ain FC, and his contributions alongside his teammates to Al Ain’s win of the AFC Champions League in 2024.

Khalid Issa expressed his delight at being selected, stating that it is an honour for any player representing the UAE, a country, he said, that is known for its noble charitable work and humanitarian efforts.

He affirmed his commitment to working with his fellow ambassadors from other national associations to convey a positive message to the Asian football community through his contributions to the activities and events organised by the AFC Dream Asia Foundation over the coming period.

Noura Al Mazrouei said, “My selection as an ambassador for women’s issues is a responsibility that I take great pride in, and I will do my utmost to fulfil my mission within the activities of the AFC Dream Asia Foundation.”

Al Mazrouei emphasised the UAE’s unwavering commitment to charitable and humanitarian work. “Our nation,” she said, “is a wellspring of compassion, and our wise leadership actively promotes these values by extending a helping hand to those in need, across the globe.”