Who will have the last laugh when the end-whistle blows?
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 28 January 2019: Prayers and chants shall ring in unending waves as the hosts UAE lace up their boots taut for the much-anticipated semi-finals of the AFC Asian Cup 2019, against Qatar tomorrow (29 January 2019) at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium.
With the Whites making it as far as to the enthralling semi-finals of the tournament, the expectations seem to soar higher and louder. A reflection of which isthe tickets of the upcoming match getting sold in minutes. The high demands left the AFC official website www.ticketmaster.ae devoid of any more tickets by Sunday afternoon.
UAE has always been grateful to their homeland for the throbbing ground support they have been receiving from their fans that encompass not only Emiratis but interestingly many expats in the UAE as well. The UAE experienced enormous ground support in their sensational match against Kyrgyzstan and later against Australia in the quarter-finals.
UAE The journey so far in AFC Asian Cup 2019
UAE began its journey at a slower pace with nomuch fanfare in the beginning. Their first match in the group stage against Bahrain saw them do everything possible to come out clean, ending up with a 1-1 draw as Ahmed Khalil scored a penalty at a crucial two minutes from full-time.
In the second match, a more confident UAE took on India. Luck favoured UAE once again despite both the teams putting up a good game. UAE came out with a 2-0 win against the unlucky Blue Tigers. In the final match of the group stage, UAE smoothly made it to the Round of 16 despite stuttering to a 1-1 draw with Thailand.
In the Round of 16, Zaccheronis boys came back stronger and with a heart that was adamant to win and reluctant to bow down before failure. The neck-to-neck match against Kyrgyzstan glued audience to the seats as fingers remained crossed until the final whistle. Ahmed Khalil came out as the saviour scoring the much-wanted winner goal in the life-or-death hours of the extra time. With an edging win of 3-2, the hosts advanced to the Quarterfinals.
But before the fans could breathe, came the big game where UAE had to face the Socceroos, who were also the defending champions. The decisive hours of the UAE vs Australia match saw both the teams go through the rough and tough to come out winners. And as if the answer to their prayers,came a goal in the second-half from Ali Mabkhout stunning the big fish in the pond.
The second-last hurdle
Past the many exasperating and exhilarating moments, UAE stands at the brimming mouth of expectation, ready to take on Qatar. The previous matches have left both the teams equipped to bite the bullet. Playing in their homeland surrounded by an electrifying crowd, cheering and chanting, it is the best of both worlds for the host UAE. However, it is the semifinals, and there is no room for mistakes or uncertainty, it is do-or-die for both UAE and their equally strong opponents, Qatar.
Winning this match will place UAE at the very threshold of history before lifting the coveted trophy at home before their fevered fans!
