Ali Khaled

Ali Khaled recounts the best moments from the memorable 24 days that were the 2015 AFC Asian Cup

Ange Postecoglou set his sights on making an impact at the 2018 World Cup in Russia after his Australia team won their first ever AFC Asian Cup, beating South Korea 2-1 after extra time in dramatic final in Sydney.

The UAE claimed third place, and their best finish finish at an Asian Cup not played on home soil, by coming from behind to defeat 10-man Iraq 3-2 in Newcastle in the tournament's third-fourth place play-off.

UAE coach Mahdi Ali is confident his squad stand a good chance of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup as their Asian Cup campaign concludes with the third/fourth place play-off against Iraq.

Ali Mabkhout can win a tight race for the Asian Cup's golden boot when the United Arab Emirates face Iraq for the consolation prize of finishing third on Friday.

The Football Association seems happy with the 50-year-old manager who has won important matches for his country at every level. Yet this is modern football.

It is not over yet, losing semi-finalists rarely look forward to the third-place play-off, but it is still an opportunity to sign off on a high note.

'We tried our best ... but we didn't have enough power to come back' UAE coach Mahdi Ali said after his side's 2-0 Asian Cup semi-finals loss to Australia on Tuesday.

Conflicting statements on Omar Abdulrahman's threat from rival camp but Mahdi Ali said the team was focused on the job at hand and not on any pre-match mind games.

There’s only a few dozen of them but for the UAE fans who have been following the team around Australia, it’s been an Asian Cup of good cheer, and the flag waving will continue in the semi-final against the host nation.

Ali Mabkhout has been in red-hot form at the Asian Cup, but his club Al Jazira are not surprised by the striker's exploits.

A few pointers to aspects of the second semi-final in Newcastle where the game will be won or lost.

Omar Abdulrahman's performance and bold penalty kick garner widespread praise

Former fourth-choice centre-back has grown into the de facto captain for the national team, writes Ali Khaled

Success at Gulf Cup of Nations and Asian Cup shows coach fully capable of delivering on his goals, writes Mahdi Ali