Nizar al-Rashdan's brilliant header proved decisive as Jordan beat ten-man Saudi Arabia at Al Bayt Stadium yesterday to set up a FIFA Arab Cup final against Morocco.In the earlier semi-final, Morocco secured their place in the title clash with another imperious defensive display, brushing past the United Arab Emirates 3-0 at Khalifa International Stadium. Jordan were without star forward Yazan al-Naimat, who suffered a serious knee injury in the quarter-final victory over Iraq. But the World Cup-bound nation showed why they are the highest-scoring side in the Arab Cup in Qatar as they ground out a deserved win against Saudi Arabia. After a first half with few chances for either team, the game opened up when al-Rashdan met an inswinging cross from Mahmoud al-Mardi with a powerful, leaping header to give Jordan the lead. Saudi Arabia responded, with Feras al-Brikan’s smart turn-and-shot well saved by Jordan goalkeeper Yazid Abu Leila. Drama came late when Saudi defender Waleed al-Ahmad was shown a straight red card in stoppage time for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity, as Jordan held on for victory. Jordan, who lost the Asian Cup final to hosts Qatar in February last year, will hope for a better outcome as they return to Lusail Stadium for another final on Thursday, this time against Morocco. Yesterday, Morocco put on a brilliant defensive display against the UAE. So far in the tournament, they have conceded only one goal – an own goal in the first hour of their opening match. Going forward, they have been clinical in converting the chances they create. On this occasion, a Karim El Berkaoui header, from a Hamza El Moussaoui cross just before the half-hour mark, proved decisive. The UAE struggled to penetrate centrally, relying on long-range efforts or a string of crosses, most of which were comfortably dealt with by the superb central pairing of Soufiane Bouftini and Marwane Saadane. The Atlas Lions then sealed the win with two late goals. The first came as a pair of substitutes combined, with Abderrazzaq Hamdallah squaring for Achraf El Mahdioui to guide his shot home from inside the box. The second saw the provider turn finisher, as Hamdallah tucked home a Mohamed Boulacsout cross to book Morocco’s passage to the final.UAE coach Cosmin Olariu expressed regret over the loss. “The scoreline does not reflect the course of the game. My team performed well, especially in the second half, but we did not capitalize on our opportunities.” He added: “We started the match positively, but conceded an early goal. In the second half, we controlled the ball and created more chances than in any previous match, but Morocco took advantage of counter-attacks before the end of the half and scored two more goals that decided the match.” Olariu continued: “We took risks to try to recover, but faced a strong, well-organized defensive team. Even when they made mistakes, we did not take advantage of them.”He also noted that physical fatigue and injuries affected the team’s performance in the semi-final. “We played 120 minutes against Algeria, and it was difficult to prepare in just two days for a tough match against Morocco. We also played five matches in nine days and lost four players to injuries, which impacted us greatly.” Concluding, Olariu said: “At the start of the tournament, no one expected us to progress from the group stage, but we reached the semi-finals and faced strong teams like Egypt and Algeria, proving our ability to handle pressure. Despite fielding many young players, they gained valuable experience that will benefit their future through this tournament.”

Longines Hathab – Qatar Equestrian Tour Khaled Mohammed al-Emadi crowned a standout performance by winning the Diamond Tour as the ninth round of the Longines Hathab – Qatar Equestrian Tour concluded at the main arena of the Qatar Equestrian Federation.Competing over fences set at 150cm, al-Emadi secured first place aboard Thor Ter Wilgen Z with a time of 72.68 seconds. Hamad Nasser al-Qadi finished second on Edison Z in 74.84 seconds, while Faleh Suwaid al-Ajami claimed third place on Karmalensky with a time of 75.75 seconds.The ninth round featured a full program including Level 1 and Level 2 dressage competitions, the preliminary dressage test, the FEI World Equestrian Challenge, the Future Riders class at 90cm, the Bronze Tour at 120cm (individual and team), and the Diamond Tour at 150cm.In the Bronze Tour (120cm) individual competition, Ibrahim Khalid al-Kuwari took first place on Flexy Bel Z with a time of 45.51 seconds. Khalid al-Hadi finished second on Capoen (48.43 seconds), followed by Ghanem Nasser al-Qadi in third on Harry UP (48.75 seconds).In the team standings, Al Shaqab claimed first place with a combined time of 112.86 seconds, ahead of Ajwad in second (107.88 seconds) and The Dome in third (109.89 seconds).Dressage competitions also delivered strong performances. In the preliminary test, Noura Fathi Nassar topped the standings with 63.571 points, followed by Al Anoud Rashid al-Nuaimi on 60.357 points.In Level 2 dressage, Mona Mohammed Hammoudi claimed first place with 68.880 points, ahead of Hamad Nasser al-Marri (66.293 points) and Caroline Featherstone (64.741 points). In the junior Level 2 category, Hamad Nasser al-Marri finished first, followed by Hadi Nasser al-Hajri and Moza Hamza al-Kuwari.Level 1 dressage honors went to Hemyan Khalifa al-Kuwari with a score of 68.642 points, narrowly edging Youssef Asamli in second (68.600 points), while Michelle Germes placed third with 67.067 points.The FEI World Equestrian Challenge saw Suhaim Hamad al-Yafai take first place in 50.27 seconds. Ahmed Ali al-Jaber finished second (53.96 seconds), while Tamim bin Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani placed third with a time of 57.01 seconds.Awards were presented by Bader bin Mohammed al-Darwish, President of the Qatar Equestrian Federation, and Mohammed bin Jaber al-Khayarin, Director of Equestrian Education at Al Shaqab.In the Future Riders class at 90cm, Layan Sultan al-Thani won the title with a time of 17.84 seconds. Khalifa bin Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani finished second (18.13 seconds), while Salman Faisal al-Marri placed third with a time of 19.47 seconds.