UAE to meet Iraq in the Gulf Cup finals
Author: Nehal El-Sherif
Manama (dpa) - The United Arab Emirates will meet Iraq in the final of the 21st edition of the Gulf Cup of Nations, held in the Bahraini capital Manama.
"It will be a tough match, no doubt. We hope to get the title, and we promise our fans to present our best performance," Iraqi defender Salam Shaker said.
Iraq earned a place in the final after beating Bahrain 4-2 in a penalty shootout in which Iraqi goalkeeper Noor Sabri saved two kicks and scored a goal.
The original time ended in a 1-1 tie on a UAE goal by Younes Mahmoud in the 18th minute and a goal for host Bahrain scored in the 61st minute by Hussein Baba.
The Lions of Mesopotamia are now one step away from the Gulf Cup's trophy. Iraq won the Gulf Cup three times, most recently in 1988. The final will be played on Friday following the game for third place between Kuwait and Bahrain.
In the other semifinal the United Arab Emirates, whose previous Gulf Cup victory came in 2007, beat title-holders Kuwait 1-0, when Ahmad Khalil led his team to victory with the game's sole goal in the 89th minute.
He is now the tournament's top scorer after his two goals in the previous match against the Omani team.
Though the Kuwaiti team started well, their performance declined after the initial 20 minutes and UAE were rewarded with the late goal for their place in Friday's final.
"I am very happy by Ahmed Khalil's performance up until he grabbed the goal by the end of today's match," UAE football coach Mahdi Ali. "It was an enjoyable match marked by excitement and parity."
The 21st edition of the Gulf Cup of Nations, which is being held in the Bahraini capital, started with eight teams split into two groups.
Launched in 1970, it is not officially recognized by the ruling football body FIFA. But the tournament has nevertheless risen in stature to become the oil-rich region's key competition.
Qatar fired Brazilian coach Paulo Autuori on Tuesday after the team left the Gulf Cup without winning a single match.
His assistant Fahad Thani will take charge. Autuori was Qatar's third coach in three years.
Qatar, who are hosting the 2022 World Cup, have never qualified for the World Cup and aim to improve their performance.
