The UAE national football team adron the front page of the National Sport on Friday, January 16 after securing their passage to the Asian Cup quarter-finals.
A battling 2-1 victory over Bahrain - coupled with Iran's defeat of Qatar - ensured Mahdi Ali and his men ended the nation's 19-year wait to reach the knockout stages.
UAE coach Mahdi insisted he was pleased with his team’s performance against Bahrain despite failing to hit the heights they displayed in their opening Asian Cup victory over Qatar.
“This game was a bit tough for us,” he admitted post-match. “There were a lot of dangerous crosses against us in the first half, but in the second half we dealt with that danger.
“We hope to learn from these details so we can avoid these negative things in the coming matches.”
Midfielder Omar Abdulrahman earned the man-of-the-match award. Here, Ali Khaled expalins why the Al Ain playmaker is taking the hits in his stride at the Asian Cup.
Related content:
- In pictures - UAE battle past Bahrain to reach Asian Cup quarter-finals
- Mahdi Ali credits ‘winning mentality’ for UAE victory over Bahrain
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