Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates is dreaming of a first AFC Asian Cup final berth since 1996, and most fans are looking to key striker Ali Mabkhout to get them there, ahead of Tuesday's semi-final against Qatar.



Emirati supporters were justifiably concerned when injury ruled dynamic playmaker Omar Abdulrahman out of the tournament, but for the second edition running, Mabkhout has emerged as the UAE's attacking focal point.

The Al Jazira forward was the star marksman of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, finishing as the top scorer with five goals, and has netted in the last four matches of the host nation's run to the semi-finals of this year's tournament.



He is now just four goals shy of Adnan Al Tanyani's all-time UAE record of 52 international goals, and, if he scores again in Tuesday's semi-final, he will become the first player in history to score five goals in successive AFC Asian Cups.

When assessing Alberto Zaccheroni's squad, it is difficult to overstate the importance of this predatory striker, but Mabkhout's goal rush comes after 2018 saw him score just twice for UAE, both against Laos, in his leanest ever year in the national team shirt.

That is all forgotten now. Four goals in two weeks are part of 10 in his last nine games for club and country, numbers which could have easily been more impressive, had the striker taken all of the chances available to him, particularly against Kyrgyz Republic.

Mabkhout will be in familiar surrounds in Tuesday's semi-final at Al Jazria's Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, where he has scored a large chunk of the 33 goals which won him the 2016-17 UAE Pro League Golden Boot.

 


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Wael El Sisi remembers Mabkhout's rise through the Al Jazira youth ranks, and the technical manager of the club's academy is proud of what the former pupil has achieved.

"At first, he wasn’t an outstanding player, but after turning 18, we started seeing the real Ali Mabkhout," El Sisi said.

"He showed a great goal scoring instinct and the character of a future star. We worked with him on technical and mental aspects to prepare him for first team football and the rest is history."

"Watching Mabkhout play so well really motivates the young players here, being able to see someone who has come through Al Jazira academy not just playing for the first team, but also starring for the UAE in the AFC Asian Cup.

"We have already started seeing more and more players dreaming of playing for the national team," he concluded.

The white-hot spotlight of an AFC Asian Cup semi-final would be enough to unsettle many players, but Mabkhout has reason to believe he will be able to deal with the pressure.

He has the experience of this stage of the competition from Australia 2015, and the confidence of finding the back of the net twice the last time his played against Qatar, during a 4-1 win at the same tournament.

For Mabkhout, scoring goals is all about patience and belief.

“A striker must be confident and patient at the same time," he told FIFA.com in 2016. "He needs to know that the goals will eventually come and boost his confidence."

"I really believe in myself.”


Source: the-afc.com