Heartbreak for UAE as Tajikistan clinch Asian Cup quarter-final spot in penalty shootout

The recriminations would begin even before the UAE had rumbled out of Al Rayyan, their early departure from Doha decided.

Asian Cup semi-finalists in the past two editions – and runners-up in 1996 – they were outdone by tournament debutants on Sunday night, Tajikistan’s stirring story in Qatar continuing into the last eight.

Paulo Bento’s decision to banish Ali Mabkhout will form the principal point of the debrief, but at the Khalifa International Stadium the former Portugal international would be left to rue the uncertainty of a penalty shootout.

In the end, Tajikistan displayed remarkable resolve to seal a second successive victory, days after their first in Asian Cup history.

A 5-3 win on spot-kicks came after Petar Segrt’s indefatigable side were through in normal time and then pegged back deep in nearly the very last moment, when Khalifa Al Hammadi flicked home from a free-kick in the 95th minute to cancel out Vakhdat Khanonov’s first-half header.

But Tajikistan somehow conjured another mighty effort, goalkeeper Rustam Yatimov saving Caio Canedo’s spot-kick and Alisher Shukurov sending the Central Asians into a quarter-final against either Iraq or Jordan. Tajikistan were flawless when it really mattered.

The UAE were sent home. Where do they go from here? They exited without Mabkhout for the last-16 tie, the national team's star striker an unused substitute through the opening two group games and, from then, not even included in the matchday squad.