UAE end third in Gulf Cup
Clinch third place play- off as Ali Mabkhout boosts Golden Boot chances
Ali Mabkhout scored his fifth goal to hand the UAE a 1- 0 win over Oman in the third place play- off
A li Mabkhout scored his fifth Gulf Cup goal to hand the UAE a 1- 0 win over Oman in the third place play- off at the Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Stadium here yesterday.
The Al Jazira striker drilled a low shot into the bottom left from distance on the hour to strengthen his position at the top of the tournament’s top scorer’s charts.
Only one game now remains — today’s final between hosts Saudi Arabia and Qatar from 8.45pm ( UAE time) — for either Saudi Arabia’s Nasser Al Shamrani and Nawaf Al Abid or Qatar’s Ali Assadalla, both on two goals each, to deny Mabkhout the golden boot with a last gasp hat- trick.
The UAE started with eight changes from their 3- 2 semifinal defeat to Saudi Arabia on Sunday while Oman started with six changes from their 3- 1 semi- final defeat to Qatar.
Both sides had drawn a blank in their Gulf Cup group opener at the Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Stadium in Riyadh two weeks ago but the UAE entered the latest game with the upper hand on head- to- head with 10 wins to Oman’s three in 19 previous encounters.
Bright start
Ali Al Habshi palmed Khamis Esmail’s long shot onto the post after the half- hour mark in the best of the UAE’s first half chances.
Oman had threatened early on after Saeed Salim’s header was tipped wide by UAE keeper Khalid Eisa.
Rashid Eisa had also taken a pot- shot at Al Habshi but it was well received by the Brighton loanee.
Oman started brightest after the interval when Ahmad Kano struck wide after Raed Saleh’s cross was played back into danger by Ali Al Nahar. Juma Darwish then failed to get anything on a free hit at the back post from Mohammad Al Seyabi’s cross soon after.
The UAE punished the sultanate’s wastefulness before the hour, however, when Mabkhout buried a long shot.
Prayers
Oman’s Hussain Al Hadri could have equalised with a free header from Darwish’s cross but UAE keeper Eisa pounced to palm the effort wide.
Al Habshi prevented Ahmad Khalil getting another for the UAE and Oman’s Raed Saleh then struck straight at Eisa before Ali Al Jabri hit the sidenetting. In the end, Mabkhout’s strike was enough to make the difference.
The UAE will now fly to the holy city of Makkah for post- tournament prayers before arriving back in Dubai on Wednesday.
Hosts Saudi Arabia will play Qatar in today’s final at the King Fahd International Stadium.
Saudi have won the Gulf Cup on three occasions and finished runners- up five- times while Qatar have won this tournament twice and have come second four times.
Minor details and mental strength will decide today’s Gulf Cup final between hosts Saudi Arabia and Qatar, according to Green Falcons coach Juan Ramon Lopez Caro.
Saudi Arabia are the resounding favourites to lift their fourth Gulf Cup title on home soil at a packed King Fahd International Stadium, having won nine games to Qatar’s two in 20 Gulf Cup encounters.
However, the fact Qatar held Saudi to a 1- 1 draw in the opening game at the same stadium to kick- off this tournament just two weeks ago — twinned with the pressure of being hosts — leaves Caro under no illusion of how difficult this feat will be.
“We expect it to be a very difficult match because both teams know each other and have played together earlier in this tournament,” said the Spanish former Real Madrid coach. “And for my team, we will be obliged to win because the tournament is held on our soil and in front of our fans. I believe the meeting will be resolved through the smallest details, and we hope success is our ally to give joy to the Saudi public.”
Caro added that with both teams so evenly matched, the side more attune to dealing with pressure would come out victorious. “Cup finals are al- ways played within a different method and framework, and the psychological aspect is very important in such games. Along with tactical and technical matters, mentality will also have a decisive influence on the outcome of the game.
“To be elected to play for the title will require great efforts from the players, but I wish that all our players are given privacy in order to create the best memories of participating in this tournament.”
Caro has been under intense pressure from the Saudi press after winning just two in ten games coming into this tournament. The Greens may have qualified top of their 2015 Asian Cup qualifying group and made it to the Gulf Cup final, but the expectations locally are astronomic.
“We currently do not want to address the pressure that we experience,” said Caro, whose side beat the UAE 3- 2 in the semi- final, after topping Group A with results over Qatar 1- 1, Bahrain 3- 0 and Yemen 1- 0. “Our focus is only on the match and the Cup.
“I have already said several times I am not thinking about my future, I just take care to do my work and see the team progress in the best image for the final, so my conscience is satisfied that I did my best.”