UAE's Asian Cup hopes rest on talisman Ali Mabkhout and promising support cast

Ali Mabkhout’s most memorable moments with the UAE national team have arguably come in the Asian Cup.

Spearhead to the enchanting side that wowed in Australia in 2015, the Al Jazira striker departed the tournament with not only a bronze medal – the UAE’s best performance outside of the Emirates – but with the Golden Boot, too.

Mabkhout struck twice in the Group B opener against Qatar, then within 14 seconds of the next match against Bahrain. An expert finish from Omar Abdulrahman’s exquisite pass, it remains the record for fastest goal in Asian Cup history.

It was Mabkhout, again, who notched early in what became the famous quarter-final win against Japan, the defending champions, when his seventh-minute goal gave the UAE something to rally around. Mahdi Ali’s men protected the lead like their lives depended on it, only to eventually surrender in Sydney as the tie entered its final stages.

Still, in the subsequent shootout, Mabkhout followed Abdulrahman’s impish Panenka penalty by keeping his cool also, and the UAE registered one of the great Asian Cup upsets.

If the semi-final against the hosts proved a step too far – Australia prevailed 2-0 – then Mabkhout ensured his country’s historic finish by netting the winner in the third-placed play-off with Iraq. He concluded the tournament with an unrivalled five goals.

Four years later, at the expanded tournament in the UAE, Mabkhout inflated his own Asian Cup haul. He scored another four times en route to another semi-final appearance, exacting some sort of revenge against Australia by deciding the last-eight encounter in Al Ain.

UAE v Nepal

Latching onto a Milos Degenek mistake, Mabkhout displayed his speed of mind and foot to round Mat Ryan and send the UAE through.

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