Soccer-Qatar reach Asian Cup final despite sandal-throwing UAE fans

Qatar defied sandal-throwing local fans to storm into the Asian Cup final for the first time with a 4-0 win over hosts United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, setting up a decider against Japan. Boualem Khoukhi's early strike and an eighth goal of the tournament from striker Almoez Ali gave Qatar a 2-0 halftime lead and captain Hassan Al-Haydos and Hamid Ismail completed the rout in the last 10 minutes.

The UAE had been hoping to reach the Asain Cup final for the second time, but instead look likely to face sanctions after Ali was pelted with footwear as he celebrated his goal and Haydos attracted another barrage of missiles after his strike. The 2022 World Cup hosts will take on Japan, who will be seeking a record fifth title, across town at the 43,000-capacity Zayed Sports City on Friday. (Reporting by Nick Mulvenney; Editing by Alexander Smith)