UAE KEEP WORLD CUP HOPES ALIVE
UAE skipper Ismail Matar is mobbed by his teammates after he scored the second goal in a nervous win over Iraq during the Fifa 2018 World Cup qualifiers Group B match at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. The UAE won 2-0. —
t he UAE beat Iraq thanks to goals from striker Ahmed Khalil and veteran Ismail Matar during the Fifa 2018 World Cup qualifiers Group B match at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on Tuesday. The fifth-round win will delight the nation and in equal measure the under-fire coach Mahdi Ali. The match, right from the start and till it lasted, was an act of desperation. Two teams with strikers eager to earn three points and the defence equally resolute to deny any gifts.
There were chances and half-chances but no goals to show for the toil in the first 20 minutes. It was an athletic Khalil, who abashed Iraqi defence with a powerful shot in the 26th minute. It was a rebound from Iraq’s Mohanad Abdulraheem that dropped in front of Khalil, who marked his spot to perfection and keeper Mohammed Hameed just got enough time to see the rocket pass by.
Goal-up, there was spring in the step and more positivity in the UAE play. Omar Abdulrahman & bro Mohamed combined well but for striker Ali Mabkhout, who was tightly marked and couldn’t flourish.
With 15 minutes to go for the final whistle, coach Ali replaced Khalil with Ismail Matar.
But what followed was a spell of some nervous spell. Keeper Khaseif had to parry at least two goal-bound shots and a corner to defend – all in space of three minutes. But the UAE prevailed the late charge for an equaliser. And just when the test of nerves were becoming unbearable, the veteran man from Al Wahda scored.