Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Al Ain: Victory was sweet for Ismaeil Matar and the United Arab Emirates as the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 hosts knocked defending champions Australia out of this year’s tournament on Friday evening, four years after losing out to the Socceroos in the semi-finals.
Ali Mabkhout’s solitary goal midway through the second half ensured the UAE advanced to the last four for the second tournament in a row and erased the agony of losing 2-0 to the Australians in Newcastle in 2015.
Nine of Alberto Zaccheroni’s 23-man squad were involved in the last edition of the Continental Championship and veteran striker Ismaeil Matar claimed the quarter-final win over the Australians went some way towards soothing the memory of that loss.
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Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Al Ain: Alberto Zaccheroni was relieved his United Arab Emirates side held on to eke out a 1-0 win over Australia in the quarter-finals of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 on Friday night, with the Italian fearing his team would have struggled had the game gone to extra-time.
The tournament hosts had Ali Mabkhout to thank that the game ended after 90 minutes, with the Al Jazira striker scoring the only goal of the game midway through the second half when he capitalised on Milos Degenek’s poor back pass to round Maty Ryan and roll the ball home.
Zaccheroni’s defence then held firm as the Socceroos threw everything forward in an attempt to keep the defence of the title they won on home soil four years ago alive, only for those attempts to flounder.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Abu Dhabi: The AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 final four line-up has been confirmed, with host nation United Arab Emirates joined by former winners Japan and Islamic Republic of Iran and first-time semi-finalists Qatar.
With the remaining teams all having proven their quality, the scene is now set for two mouth-watering semi-finals, with the winners to progress to the AFC Asian Cup Final at Abu Dhabi's Zayed Sports City Stadium on February 1.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Al Ain: Australia’s defence of their AFC Asian Cup title came to an end on Friday evening as Ali Mabkhout’s second half goal earned tournament hosts the United Arab Emirates a 1-0 win over the Socceroos and set up a semi-final meeting with Qatar.
Mabkhout took advantage of an under-hit back pass midway through the second half to steal in behind the Australian defence and round Maty Ryan to register the only strike of the game.
Alberto Zaccheroni’s side will now take on Qatar with a place in the final at stake as the hosts moved one step closer to emulating their run to the deciding game when the tournament was last held in the UAE in 1996.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Abu Dhabi: Head coach Felix Sanchez has labelled Qatar’s 1-0 win over Korea Republic in the quarter-finals of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 as an historic moment for both his players and the West Asian nation.
A stunning second-half strike from Abdelaziz Hatim saw the Qataris progress to their first-ever AFC Asian Cup semi-final and, in the process, rack up a fifth consecutive victory at the Continental showpiece event.
With host nation the United Arab Emirates set to come for Qatar in the last four, Sanchez, although mindful of the challenge that awaits his young charges, was quick to underline the significance of the result for a side who have become serious title contenders.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Abu Dhabi: Alireza Jahanbakhsh has set his sights on creating history after the Brighton & Hove Albion winger helped Islamic Republic of Iran advance to the semi-finals of the AFC Asian Cup for the first time in a generation.
The Iranians will take on Japan in their first semi-final appearance since 2004 as Team Melli continue their quest to secure a first AFC Asian Cup title since the last of the country’s three consecutive crowns was won back in 1976.
Goals from Mehdi Taremi, Sardar Azmoun and Karim Ansarifard saw off China PR in the quarter-finals on Thursday evening in Abu Dhabi, and Jahanbakhsh is confident he and his teammates can continue their impressive run.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Abu Dhabi: Korea Republic coach Paulo Bento has declared that his side exited the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 quarter-finals after yet again failing to convert chances into goals.
A long-range thunderbolt saw Qatar register a 1-0 win over Bento’s charges on Friday, as the Taeguk Warriors failed to progress beyond the AFC Asian Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 2004.
Having scored just six times in their four previous matches, the Koreans were once again culpable of squandering chances when it mattered most and, according to Bento, that inability to convert opportunities into goals ultimately cost his side dear.