UAE dethrones Australia to face off Qatar in Asian Cup semis

Hosts United Arab Emirates (UAE) dethroned Australia to advance into the Asian Cup semifinal where it will face Qatar, which saw off South Korea. The UAE, the 1996 runner-up, defeated Australia, the defending champion 1-0 on Friday night on the strength of a second-half goal by Ali Ahmed Mabkhout, which allowed the host to move a step closer to equaling its best run in 1996 when it also was the host.

This was Mabkhout's fourth goal of the 2019 Asian Cup, having found the net in UAE's 2-0 win over India, the 1-1 draw against Thailand and a 3-2 victory versus Kyrgyzstan, reports Efe news. Next up for the United Arab Emirates will be Qatar, who making its tenth tournament appearance, prevailed over South Korea 1-0, to make the Asian Cup last-4 for the first time ever.

The other semifinal pits Iran versus Japan on Monday and the final is scheduled for February 1.