The UAE head into Monday’s Fifa Arab Cup semi-final against Morocco buoyed by belief and a goalkeeper who has already made himself the story of the tournament.
Defending champions Algeria may be gone, but they did not relinquish their crown easily. UAE’s dramatic quarter-final victory, sealed via penalties after a tense, 120 minutes that ended 1-1, owed much to the heroics of Hamad Al Meqbaali in the national team goal.
The Shabab Al Ahli goalkeeper first preserved parity late on with a superb stop to deny a last-gasp winner, before elevating himself further in the shoot-out by saving penalties from Yassine Benzia and Mohamed Khacef.
Algeria arrived as unbeaten champions, 10 matches without defeat and widely considered favourites to retain their title. They departed without losing in regulation or extra time, undone instead by a goalkeeper enjoying a defining moment in his international career.
“We deserved the win,” Al Meqbaali told Fifa.com. “The coach instilled positive energy in us, he motivated us in the right way and showed a lot of faith in us, like we were his own sons. That helped us to fight for our flag, for ourselves and for the coach.”
Those words may resonate again as UAE prepare for Morocco, another North African giant and a side equally rich in tournament know-how.
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