The United Arab Emirates national team achieved a historic accomplishment by qualifying for the semi-finals of the 2025 Arab Cup of Football, after their thrilling victory over their Algerian opponent in a penalty shootout with a score of 7-6, following a 1-1 draw in regular and extra time, in the quarter-final match held today at "Al Bayt" Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar.

Rising Excitement and Draw Drama

The match witnessed great excitement from the first minute, as the Algerians dominated the flow of play in the first half, but they faced solid defense from the Emiratis.

With the start of the second half, Algerian striker Adel Boulbina succeeded in opening the score in the 46th minute with a header from a rebound, making it seem in favor of the "Desert Foxes."

However, the UAE did not give up and responded strongly in the 64th minute when Bruno Oliveira scored the beautiful equalizer from a close-range ground shot, taking advantage of a precise pass from Caio Lucas, restoring hope for the "Gulf Champions."

The confrontation remained balanced until the end of regular time, then extra time, without additional goals, which pushed the match to the decisive penalty shootout.

Sinan’s Brilliance Decides the Match

In the decisive penalties, UAE goalkeeper Khaled Sinan showed exceptional skill by stopping a crucial shot, while the Emirati players succeeded in executing their penalties with high accuracy, securing the result in their favor 7-6 and creating the tournament's surprise.

The UAE team will now face their Moroccan counterpart in the semi-finals, after the latter eliminated the Syrian opponent in the quarter-final match.