The UAE national team pays the price for mistakes and wasted opportunities… and Morocco reaches the Arab Cup final

The UAE national football team bid farewell to the dream of the Arab Cup currently being held in Doha after losing to Morocco by three unanswered goals in the semi-finals, today, Monday, at Khalifa International Stadium.

The star-studded “Atlas Lions” qualified for the final match scheduled for next Thursday, awaiting the winner of the match between Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

The team paid the price for fatal defensive errors, in addition to wasting the easy opportunities it had, and the Emirati fans were disappointed after they had hoped that the team would reach the furthest point in the tournament and compensate for their failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

“Al-Abyad” presented an unconvincing performance in the first half and most of the playing minutes, and wasted opportunities at the beginning of the second half that were enough to tip the balance in its favor, but it lacked a player capable of translating chances into goals, while rising goalkeeper Hamad Al-Muqbali excelled.

Morocco ended the first half ahead with a goal by Karim El Berkaoui in the 28th minute, exploiting a fatal defensive error, while Morocco added two goals in the second half through Ashraf El Mahdioui in the 83rd minute and Abdel Razzaq Hamdallah in the 90th minute + 3.

In the details, the 13th minute represented the first dangerous attempt by the Moroccan team against the Emirati team, after Walid Azaro shot a powerful header, which was blocked by the defense and goalkeeper Hamad Al-Muqbali.

In the first half, the team suffered from slowness in building attacks properly, in addition to clear gaps in clearing Morocco’s crosses, as well as the divergence of its lines between defense, midfield and attack, in contrast to Morocco’s control over the course of the game. During the first half, the team also lacked the ability to take advantage of the available opportunities and dare to initiate an attack, except for some individual attempts.

The Moroccan team appeared to be the best in terms of possession and spread, while “Al-Abyad” tried to return to the atmosphere of the match. Caio Lucas’ powerful shot in the 18th minute represented the first real threat to the Moroccan goal. The team also wasted the two most prominent chances in the first half, the first by Caio Lucas (18), and the second by Bruno Oliveira (24), when he shot a powerful ball that bounced off the goal.

The Moroccan national team succeeded in scoring the lead goal from the first real opportunity through Karim El Berkaoui in the 28th minute, with a powerful vertical shot on the right side of the goal, taking advantage of a cross ball and exploiting the absence of good defensive coverage by defender Philippe Robben.

The goal gave the Moroccan national team great confidence, and it began to control the course of the game and put pressure on Al-Abyad’s goal, as Hamad Al-Muqbali blocked several dangerous attempts, most notably Zahzouh’s shot in the 34th minute.

andThe team’s appearance changed in the second half, and it seemed better and more in control of the game, but it lacked focus and the final touch, and wasted scoring opportunities, as Caio Lucas, Bruno Oliveira and Yahya Al-Ghassani threatened the Moroccan goal with several attempts, the most dangerous of which were Caio Lucas’s two attempts in the 46th and 48th minutes, and Bruno Oliveira’s header that hit the post in the 52nd minute.

National team coach Cosmin made changes to strengthen the offensive side, with the entry of Ali Saleh, Sultan Adel and Richard Akonnor.

The last minutes witnessed intense offensive pressure from the national team to adjust the result, and Al-Abyad led several dangerous attempts through Sultan Adel, Kayo and Al-Ghassani, but the Moroccan goalkeeper and defense blocked them at the right moment.

The Moroccan national team dashed Al-Abyad’s hopes of returning to the match, after Ashraf El Mahdioui managed to add the second goal in the 83rd minute, taking advantage of a fatal defensive error, before Abdel Razzaq Hamdallah added the third goal in the 93rd minute due to defensive lapses, so the match ended with a 3-0 victory for Morocco.