UAE team power through to semi-finals of Asian Cup

The UAE team has had an absolutely stellar run in the 2019 Asian Cup so far. They stunned Australia 1-0 to secure a spot in the semi-final.

On Tuesday (January 29), the UAE will take on Qatar in Abu Dhabi in the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium. The UAE Sports Council has bought all the remaining tickets for Tuesday's semi-final and is offering them free of charge to UAE fans.

Alberto Zaccheroni’s men are hoping to reach the final of the tournament. The last time the UAE made it to an Asian Cup final was in 1996, coincidently the last time the UAE hosted the tournament as well.

UAE captain Ismail Matar told The National that, "the hosts must grasp the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of playing an Asian Cup on home soil."

The team's star player Ali Mabkhout took home the coveted 'Golden Boot' award at the Asian Cup in 2015 after helping UAE bag a place in the semi-finals. He also made it into the history books after recording the fastest goal in Asian Cup history, putting one behind in the net just 14 seconds into the UAE’s group stage win against Bahrain.