(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The UAE dug deep into their reserves to earn a place in the 2017 Gulf Cup semifinals on Thursday. Their final Group A game with hosts Kuwait ended in a goalless draw as they finished in second place with five points.
But the biggest surprise of the night came in the other Group A game as Oman stunned Saudi Arabia 2-0 to top the group. A second half brace from Said Salim broke Saudi hearts on an unforgettable night.
After having lost their first match to the UAE on December 22, Oman went on to beat hosts Kuwait by a solitary goal in their second game. Few backed them to beat the World Cup-bound Saudi Arabia on Thursday, but Salim's goals changed the Group A script in the most dramatic fashion.
The UAE, on the other hand, did just enough to book their own semifinal spot.
Needing only a draw against the already-eliminated Kuwait to qualify for the last-four stage, the UAE made a positive start to their group finale against the home team.
Omar Abdulrahman, the gifted Al Ain playmaker, was at the heart of every UAE move that threatened to break the deadlock in the first half. With only the pride to play for, Kuwait, the 10-time Gulf Cup champions, did show some attacking intent of their own in the first 15 minutes, but their poor inter-play in the final third let them down.
Alberto Zaccheroni's team, on the other hand, worked like a well-oiled machine in the opposition's final third as Ali Mabkhout and Omar Abdulrahman exchanged passes at frightening speed on the edge of area to torment the home defenders.
And it was in the 9th minute of the game that a delightful ball found Ali Mabkhout in a promising position inside the Kuwaiti box, but the Al Jazira striker failed to generate power in his left-footer to test home goalkeeper Hameed Youssef Al-Qallaf.
Al-Qallaf's first real test came in the 16th minute. Omar Abdulrahman, after some brilliant work from Ali Mabkhout in the middle of the park, found space and attempted a left-footer from outside the box, forcing a diving save from Al-Qallaf.
Abdul Rahman was in the thick of the action again in the 24th minute. His creative spark and determination broke through the Kuwaiti defence and presented Mohammed Barqesh with a wonderful chance to put the UAE ahead. But the Al Wahda left back's tame effort brought relief to the home fans in the stands.
Backed by the passionate support of the drum-beating Kuwaiti fans, the home team came out all guns blazing in the second half. But the UAE, the two-time winners of the tournament, did enough defensively to weather the storm and went on to create their best chance of the match in the 54th minute.
Ismail Al Hammedi, the Al Ahli striker, showed his class as he chipped the ball over the Kuwait goalkeeper Al-Qallaf only for a diving Kuwaiti defender to make a fantastic goal-line clearance.
That was the closest The Whites came to finding that elusive goal in a frustrating night for strikers.
In the 86th minute, though, the UAE supporters had their hearts in their mouths when Kuwaiti substitute Abdullah Al Buraiki's powerful shot from close range was saved by a diving Emirati defender and Kuwait could do little from the resulting corner.
That was the last chance at goal in the game as the UAE survived to progress to the semifinals.
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