Qatar's success would have been difficult to imagine four years ago. Hassan, an unused substitute, watched on as Bahrain's Sayed Ahmed scored eight minutes from time to deliver a final blow to Al Annabi's 2015 campaign.

Three successive losses meant Hassan's side left Australia without a single point. After years of steady progress, and a quarter-final appearance on home soil four years prior, it was their worst ever result at an AFC Asian Cup.

Skip forward four years and the circumstances are unrecognisable. Qatar have won five successive matches, and beaten three former champions in a row, to reach the final four for the first time history.

The West Asians earned a slice history on Friday, defeating two-time winners and 2015 runners-up Korea Republic thanks to Abdelaziz's Hatim's 78th-minute screamer at Zayed Sports City Stadium.

The achievement is the latest for a side packed with young talents to have blossomed under the tutelage of head coach Felix Sanchez, who also coached 11 players from the current squad at last year's AFC U-23 Championship

The Qatari starting line-up also featured no less than seven players from the Al Sadd club, including Khoukhi, who believes those examples of continuity are aiding the team's cause.

A searing 78th-minute strike from Abdelaziz Hatim ultimately secured the win for Felix Sanchez's side, to eliminate the 2015 runners-up and make it five consecutive wins in the competition.

Ali, a breakout star in the UAE with seven goals in five matches, revealed his delight at the achievement, and said he wants his side to make further history in the competition, starting with Tuesday's semi-final against host nation United Arab Emirates.

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.

Milligan has close links with the hosts, having spent two seasons playing club football in the UAE and he praised Alberto Zaccheroni’s side after they eliminated the defending champions.

The UAE saw off the Socceroos when Ali Mabkhout capitalised on an error by Milos Degenek to score the only goal of the game and avenge a semi-final defeat at the hands of Australia four years ago.

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.

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.