Jordan booked a berth in the FIFA Arab Cup semi-finals as they edged Iraq 1-0 at the Education City Stadium. Ali Olwan’s first-half penalty proved the difference in front of 40,000 fans in Al Rayyan, as he maintained a remarkable record of scoring from the spot in each of Jordan’s four matches at the tournament.
Later at the Al Bayt Stadium, the United Arab Emirates dumped defending champions Algeria 7-6 on penalties, after the match had ended 1-1 in both regulation and extra time.
Two years ago, Jordan and Iraq clashed at the start of the knockout stage at a major tournament in Qatar, as the Nashama edged the Lions of Mesopotamia in the round of 16 at the Asian Cup.
This time, also at the Education City, it was Jordan once again who won by a single goal, with Olwan scoring for the fourth straight match. His goal came late in an opening half that produced almost no other chances of note, despite Jordan having the better of the play. They did, however, lose star forward Yazan al-Naimat to an early knee injury.
After the break, Iraq’s talisman Ali Jasim began to see much more of the ball and his team looked far better for it. Twice the dazzling winger came close midway through the half — first with a rasping effort from distance, then with a driven shot — both producing smart saves from Yazeed Abulaila.
Jordan’s Mohannad Abu Taha, who has already scored one spectacular long-range effort at the tournament, came close to producing another late on as Jordan saw out the narrow win to book a last-four date with Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, the UAE qualified for the semi-finals after a thrilling win over Algeria. Neither team showed much desire in the first half to assert dominance, with a cagey, low-quality opening 45 minutes producing few chances. The UAE focused on tightening their defensive line and maintaining discipline, while the referee disallowed a second Algerian goal for offside in the 44th minute.
The second half brought signs of change as Adel Boulbina put Algeria ahead early, following up a shot from Youssef Brahimi that rebounded off the UAE goalkeeper’s hands and slotting it home to the right of the keeper.
The UAE pushed forward, increasing their pressure on the Algerian defence in search of an equaliser, and they succeeded in restoring parity through Bruno in the 64th minute. He converted a pass from Caio, finishing with his left foot into the Algerian net.
Neither side managed to break the deadlock in extra time, despite Algeria’s advantage, sending the match to penalties, where the UAE prevailed to set up a semi-final meeting with Morocco.