Qatar hit five past the UAE as hosts cruises into semi-finals of FIFA Arab Cup
Asian champions Qatar cruised into the semi-finals of the FIFA Arab Cup in style with a 5-0 demolition of the UAE in front of a record crowd of 63,439 at the Al Bayt Stadium yesterday night, thanks to goals from Almoez Ali, Abdulaziz Hatem and Boualem Khoukhi coupled with an early own goal from Ali Salmeen.
Qatar earned a sixth-minute lead in the contest after Akram Afif's shot was cleared into defender Ali Salmeen, with the ball bouncing back into the net for an own goal.
Al Duhail's super striker Almoez Ali doubled the lead in the 28th minute from the penalty spot after an Afif's cross was maliciously handled by UAE's Mahmoud Al Hammadi inside the box.
Qatar effectively sealed their place in the last four when Boualem Khoukhi scored their second penalty of the first half after a foul from UAE goalkeeper Ali Khaseif.
Abdulaziz Hatem produced a fine finish from outside the box in the 44th minute to extend the lead, making it the third consecutive match in which Qatar have scored four against the UAE.
Ali scored a fifth goal in first-half stoppage time from close range, with the effort initially disallowed for offside but later awarded by the video assistant referee. With yesterday's brace, Ali is now close to the historic title of the top scorer of the Qatar national team.
The 25-year-old has now scored 39 goals in 70 games for The Maroon - needing just three more to surpass the 41 goal record of Mubarak Mustafa scored between 1992 and 2004.
"I'm happy with my performance in the match against UAE and the two goals scored. We all played very well, and the team was wonderful. The essential thing in the match is to win and qualify for the next round. I work hard on the pitch to reach the goal and score goals, and I must be responsible and translate into goals the efforts of his colleagues on the field," Ali said after the match.
"The race the next round will be difficult and strong, but we must work and try harder until we reach the final," added the 2019 Asian Cup golden boot award winner.
The match started on a high-pressing note for Qatar, with the 2022 World Cup host making no mistake of hiding their intention of taking all the spoils from the blast of the whistle.
Their efforts paid off as early as the sixth minute. Ali took advantage of a mistake by defender Mohnad Salem passed the ball to Afif, who deceived goalkeeper Ali Khaseif Hourani and attempted to score from a close range.
The striker's hit took midfielder Salmeen's touch and landed in the net to give hosts an early advantage. Despite the goal margin, the result was also a reflection of the UAE's messy defending as it is of Qatar's superiority and strength.
Van Marwijk's side handed Qatar a penalty kick, with Hammadi touching his hand on the ball while trying to block a cross by Ismaeel Mohammad on the right. Ali, who had earlier missed an opportunity, made no mistake this time and took a clean hit to beat the goalkeeper, much to the delight of home fans.
After Khoukhi saw his fiery free-kick from a distance cleared by the UAE goalkeeper, Qatar won their second penalty of the match. Ali was racing alone after receiving a pass from Al Haydos, but he was trapped by defender Mohnad Salem and the goalkeeper as they tried to block the striker.
After consulting the video assistant referee, Uruguay's Andres Matias Matonte Cabrera immediately pointed his finger towards the penalty spot. Khoukhi smashed a clinical hit on the left corner, leaving no chance for a diving Hourani to avoid another goal as Qatar cruised to a 3-0 lead.
Two UAE players – Bandar Al Ahbabi and Ali Saleh –were booked for rash tackles soon after Qatar's third goal. Afif then successfully assisted Hatim, who smashed a fiery shot to extend the home team's lead before Almeoz made it 5-0 in another Afif's assist, three minutes later.
Qatar will await the winners of today's quarter-final between Algeria and Morocco. In the other match of the day, Tunisia booked their place in the semi-finals after beating Oman 2-1 at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan.
Seifeddine Jaziri gave Tunisia a 16th-minute lead in the contest, only for Arshad Al-Alawi to score a stunning second-half equalizer from long-range to bring Oman level. Tunisia regained their advantage three minutes later, with Youssef Msakni scoring a 69th-minute winner to take his team into the last four. Tunisia will face either Egypt or Jordan in the semi-finals.
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