Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Abu Dhabi: Friday’s AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 final will not only pit Qatar against Japan but also two highly motivated and experienced coaches who have successfully guided their respective teams through to the title showdown.
In Felix Sanchez, Qatar have a head coach who has overseen the steady progress of several of Al Annabi’s leading lights – notably Akram Afif and Almoez Ali – thanks to his spells with a host of the West Asian nation’s age-group teams.
The 43-year-old Barcelona native joined the Doha-based Aspire Academy in 2006 before, seven years later, taking charge of the Qatari side which would go on to beat DPR Korea and claim the AFC U-19 Championship in 2014.
Sanchez subsequently replaced Jorge Fossati in the Qatar hotseat in 2017, a role he now combines with the country’s U-23 side who he guided to a third-place finish at the 2018 AFC U-23 Championship.
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Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Abu Dhabi: After making history by equalling Ali Daei's longstanding record for most goals in an AFC Asian Cup, Qatar striker Almoez Ali immediately turned his attention to Friday's final against Japan.
Ali, who was born four months before Daei set the record in the 1996 edition of the tournament, drew level with the Islamic Republic of Iran legend eight minutes before half time, scoring superbly from the edge of the penalty area to put his side 2-0 up against the United Arab Emirates.
Speaking to the-AFC.com after his side's eventual 4-0 win, the in-form Al Duhail front man expressed his joy, before turning his attention to the tournament decider.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Abu Dhabi: Felix Sanchez praised his team’s cool-headed approach after Qatar handed AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 hosts the United Arab Emirates a 4-0 defeat to secure their place in the final of the Continental championship for the first time in the country’s history on Tuesday.
Boualem Khoukhi and Almoez Ali gave Sanchez’s side a two-goal lead at half time before further strikes from Hassan Al Haydos and Hamid Ismaeil completed the win in the second half to set up a meeting in Friday’s final with four-time champions Japan.
Qatar overcame a vociferous home crowd to advance to the decider and Sanchez hailed the maturity shown by his young team as they completed a sixth straight game at the Finals without conceding a goal.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Abu Dhabi: After 50 matches between teams from all over the continent, the combatants in Asia's biggest football fixture have been decided, with Japan to meet Qatar in the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 final.
Who, when, where? JAPAN v QATAR Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi - 18:00, February 1
Japan's 3-0 win against Islamic Republic of Iran in Al Ain on Monday and Qatar's victory over hosts United Arab Emirates 24 hours later in Abu Dhabi, sets up a mouth-watering clash between the sides, who will meet in the decider for the first time in the competition's 63-year history.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Abu Dhabi: Qatar's Almoez Ali wrote his name into history during his side's AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 4-0 semi-final win over United Arab Emirates, scoring a tournament record-equalling eighth goal at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on Tuesday.
The 37th-minute strike means the 22-year-old joins Islamic Republic of Iran's Ali Daei as the most prolific scorer in a single edition of the competition, a mark established in the 1996 Finals, which were also held in the UAE.
Ali's historic strike was his eighth in six matches in the UAE, and follows the six-goal haul which saw him claim the top scorer award at the 2018 AFC U-23 Championship.
Tuesday's goal was one to savour, as Ali collected the ball 35 yards from goal, before driving towards the Emirati penalty area and unleashing a searing low drive which gave goalkeeper Khalid Eisa no chance.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Abu Dhabi: United Arab Emirates head coach Alberto Zaccheroni has taken full responsibility for his side’s 4-0 defeat to Qatar in Tuesday’s AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 semi-final encounter.
Two goals in either half saw the Qataris progress with relative ease as the UAE were left unable to emulate the nation’s run to the final in 1996 despite the backing of a passionate crowd at Abu Dhabi’s Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium.
“I would like to apologise to the UAE fans for the result,” declared Zaccheroni, who guided Japan to the AFC Asian Cup title in 2011."
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Abu Dhabi: Qatar will play Japan in the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 final after Felix Sanchez’s charges beat host nation the United Arab Emirates 4-0 on Tuesday in an absorbing last four encounter at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium.
A stirring first-half performance – which saw Boualem Khoukhi break the deadlock and Almoez Ali notch a record-equalling eighth goal of the tournament – laid the foundation for the victory which was rubberstamped by late strikes from Hassan Al Haydos and Hamid Ismaeil as Qatar progressed with relative ease to set up Friday’s title showdown with the Japanese.
While Qatar’s success saw them advance to their first-ever AFC Asian Cup final, it left the UAE to rue what could have been as they failed to emulate their run to the final in 1996.