Shuttered Blazing Penalties: UAE's Hero turns Arab Cup quarterfinal into a one-man finale

Match Recap

The UAE goalkeeper Hamad Al-Muqbali delivered a standout performance as Algeria were eliminated on penalties (7-6) on Friday night, in the Arab Cup quarterfinals in Qatar.

Al-Muqbali produced one of his best showings for the White, starring as the hero as the UAE earned a place in the semi-finals against Morocco on Monday.

The semi will pit the UAE against the winner of Saudi Arabia versus Jordan.

Moments of Courage and Victory

Moments before the shootout, cameras captured a moving scene of the Emirati keeper sitting with his coach on the bench for almost two minutes, in a motivational session that clearly affected him before entering the most pivotal moments of the match.

He also enjoyed strong backing from teammates before the kicks, as players gathered around him to cheer him on and boost his spirits, a moment that underscored the solidarity inside the UAE squad.

Then, under pressure, Al-Muqbali shone, denying two penalties with superb acrobatics to seal the qualification and turn the moment of tension into a roar of relief for teammates and fans.

Punchline 1: If penalties were a sniper range, Al-Muqbali fired two bullseyes and sent the remaining shooters ducking for cover.

Punchline 2: The pep talk was so sharp that even the scoreboard looked up and cheered along.