Adnan Al Talyani

Talyani spent 19 years at Al-Shaab CSC. Despite having received multiple offers from other clubs, restrictions in his contract prohibited him from transferring at the time. He was chosen for the UAE national team soon after Heshmat Mohajerani was hired as the trainer. He retired from international football in 1997, with the record for the most international appearances, with 161 caps and 56 goals.

1990 FIFA World Cup Qualification

The United Arab Emirates' qualification for the 1990 FIFA World Cup remains one of the most significant achievements in the history of Emirati football, and Adnan Al Talyani played a pivotal role in the same. The UAE faced a challenging qualification process, beginning with a crucial first-round encounter against Kuwait. After a 3–2 defeat in the opening match, the team entered the third game of the stage needing a victory to stay in contention. Al Talyani scored the decisive goal in a 1–0 win, moving the team to the top of the group. He then contributed to a 4–1 victory over Pakistan, securing progression to the final qualification round. The final stage featured six teams competing in a single-round tournament, with the top two earning places at the World Cup. The UAE managed only one victory in this stage, a 2–1 win over China, with an 88th-minute goal from Al Talyani. His second goal of the round came in a 1–1 draw with South Korea in the final match, earning the UAE the sixth point needed to qualify alongside them for the nation’s…

International goals

Adnan was born in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, on 30 October 1964. He started playing football in the streets of Sharjah in the 1970s. His older brother, Nasser Al Talyani, was a midfielder for the Al-Shaab CSC team. In 1980, he joined the team after impressing the owner at an annual football tournament where he scored several goals. He has three sons, all of whom attended his retirement party in 2003.

Al Shaab

UAE President's Cup (1992–93) UAE Super Cup (1993) 2x UAE First Division League (1992–93, 1997–98) Asian Cup Winners' Cup Runners-up (1994–95)

United Arab Emirates

AFC Asian Cup Runners-up (1996) Individual

2x UAE Football League Top Scorer (1984–85, 1986–87) Asian Cup Winners' Cup Best Player (1994–95) Best Arabic Player (1989) UAE First Division League Top Scorer (1992–93) UAE Football League Best Player (1992–93) UAE Player of the Century