AFC Asian Cup: Bahrain hold hosts UAE to 1-1 draw in the opening match
Abu Dhabi: UAE rallied from a goal down to pull
out a 1-1 draw in the dying minutes against Bahrain in the Group ‘A’ opening
fixture of the AFC Asian Cup at the Zayed Sports City Stadium on Saturday. At
half-time, the scoreboard read 0-0.
For Bahrain, Mohammed Al Romaihi scored while
Ahmed Khalil drew level through a penalty for UAE.
UAE started off positively but then there was a
sudden dip in their performance and their lack of co-ordination came to the
fore. It was surprising to see coach Alberto Zaccheroni not start with striker
Khalil and mid-fielder Mohammed Abdul Rahman. Key defender Ismail Ahmed's
absence due to injury also made the backline brittle.
Just six minutes into play, mid-fielder Ismail
Al Hammadi made a defense splitting run from the left and only had the lone
on-rushing Bahrain goalkeeper Sayed Shubbar Alawi to beat. However, Al
Hammadi’s final touches eluded him as the ball went just wide of the far post.
Then minutes later, Ali Mabkhout, who scored
the fastest goal in 14 seconds during the 2015 Asian Games group fixture
against Bahrain, saw one of his attempts following a long ball from Amer Abdul
Rahman, grace past the goal.
The first noteworthy move from Bahrain came in
the 25th minute and that also from a poor clearance from Mabkhout. Al Romaihi
rose high to nod the ball but couldn’t direct it to perfection.
Thereafter, it was some aimless football from
either sides. Both failing to create any constructive moves that could threaten
each other's defenses. The drab affair saw the teams lose control of the ball
cheaply with the action mainly confined to mid-field duel.
Just before the breather, a left-footed effort
from a free-kick by Bahrain’s Komail Al Aswad, from way outside the box, sailed
just over the framework.
After the change of ends, Bahrain came close to
scoring with Ali Jaafar Madan unleashing a left-footed effort from the top of
the box. Though goalkeeper Khalid Eisa blocked that effort, the rebound landed
on the foot of an overlapping Al Romaihi and the former again had to show quick
reflexes to keep the second attempt out.
The mid-field started to function effectively
once Mohammed Abdul Rahman replaced Amer Abdul Rahman in the 54th minute.
Those deft passes that were missing suddenly
started to come through and in the 65th minute a Mohammed Abdul Rahman
triggered move almost bore fruit. He found Al Hammadi, who then set it for Saif
Rashid and though the release from latter found Mabkhout, the resultant side
volley just went wide.
Bahrain then struck in the 78th minute against
the run of play through Al Romaihi who shot home on the rebound following a
cross from Sayed Redha. Immediately after that a powerpacked effort from Rashid
was kept out by Bahrain goalkeeper Sayed Shubbar.
The hosts then clawed their way back into the match through a
penalty in the 88th minute. A high ball hit the hand of Mohammed Jasim Marhoon
and the referee pointed it out to the spot. And Khalil, who came in place of
Khamis Esmaeel in the 81st minute, slotted it home with ease to save the day
for the hosts.