Arab Cup Thriller: UAE Stay in the Hunt After 1-1 Draw with Egypt

Match Recap

Romanian coach Cosmin Olaroiu, head coach of the United Arab Emirates, expressed satisfaction after a 1-1 draw with Egypt in a gripping showdown at Lusail Stadium in Doha, Qatar, which wrapped up the second matchday of Group C in the Arab Cup.

In post-match remarks, Olaroiu said: "We played our best football against Egypt, we took the lead at a good moment in the second half, and we were close to sealing the win."

Post-Match Reactions

He added: "The draw renewed my disappointment, as we’ve suffered late goals in recent matches. The important thing is we still have a chance to reach the quarterfinals; we’ll give our all in the final group game against Kuwait and hope to win and advance."

Yahya Nader, UAE player, commented: "Our level is improving from game to game; we drew after a tough match against Egypt, and we could have won. We will do everything we can to win our last game, and we hope Egypt lose to Jordan so we can reach the quarter-finals."

What’s Next

Emirati forward Kai Lucas opened the scoring in the 60th minute, while Egypt leveled through Marwan Hamdi in the 85th, leaving both sides with a point.

The third and final round of Group C will take place next Tuesday, with UAE facing Kuwait and Jordan facing Egypt. UAE need a win, and Egypt a loss to clinch the group’s second qualification spot.

Egypt also needs to win the final round to secure their progress without looking at the second match's result—or draw if the UAE-Kuwait game ends in a stalemate; Jordan had already topped the group.

Egypt’s points total rose to two, placing them second, while Kuwait remained on one point, keeping their qualification hopes alive.

With a final round looming, every goal could change who advances—and whose coffee loses its mind.

Sniper joke 1: Scorelines are like my jokes—late, but somehow still shocking.

Sniper joke 2: In this group, the only thing quicker than a counter-attack is a coach checking the clock on the dugout.