Hamad Al Meqbaali
Doha, Qatar: A champion has yielded its crown, but it’s safe to say it was held on tightly. In the quarter-finals of the FIFA Arab Cup the defending champions Algeria were eliminated after a penalty shootout which saw the United Arab Emirates emerge victorious.
The paradox for the Fennecs is that not only did they have a slight edge in the match, but they’ve been knocked out of the tournament just shy of the semi-finals without having suffered a single defeat in regulation or extra time.
To take down an unstoppable champion like Algeria, who had just extended their unbeaten run to ten matches, they needed a hero, someone capable of making a difference in key moments. Fortunately for the Emiratis, Hamad Al Meqbaali was just the right man for the job.
In addition to thwarting Algeria’s attempt at a last-minute winner with a spectacular save, the goalkeeper then denied Yassine Benzia and Mohamed Khacef from the spot in the penalty shootout to seal the defending champions’ exit and secure his side’s place in the semi-finals in style.
“We deserved the win, and this success has brought us immense joy despite a tough match”, the goalkeeper told FIFA. “The coach instilled positive energy in us, he motivated us in the right way and showed a lot of faith in us, like we were his own sons. That helped us to fight for our flag, for ourselves and for the coach.”
Humble and calm post-match, Al Meqbaali is enjoying his first starts in goal for the United Arab Emirates here in Qatar. He’s usually on the bench ready to stand in for first-choice goalkeeper Khalid Eisa, but coach Cosmin Olaroiu is certainly counting on him for this Arab Cup. And it’s safe to say that his trust has been rewarded. In the eyes of his team-mates, the Shabab Al Ahli player is passing his initiation test with flying colours.
“The coach, Cosmin, reassured us before the penalty shootout that our goalkeeper is special and would get the job done, and he has clearly repaid the trust we placed in him”, said 21-year-old Sultan Adil, who came on during extra time.
“It’s the first time he’s had the opportunity to be the goalkeeper, and frankly, he is proving his worth and then some”, says Nicolas Gimenez happily. “At this stage, the most important thing is you feel good. We have a lot of young players gaining experience in this tournament and we as more experienced players have to support them.”
“Hamad is showing what he’s capable of here”, praised defender Lucas Pimenta. “But he’s already been doing that with his club as in the first part of the season, he is the goalkeeper who has conceded the least amount of goals in the division (only one in eight matches). I’m really happy for him because he’s a really good goalkeeper.”
Whilst the 22-year-old keeper made a key difference, it was as a team that the United Arab Emirates were able to thwart numerous Algerian attacks throughout the match. And of course, penalties also needed to be scored in the fateful shootout to make Al Meqbaali’s heroics worthwhile.
“When we knew it was going to penalties, I asked to be the first to step up because I’d say that I’m one of the more experienced players that can go ahead and help my teammates. And thank God, I scored”, said the energetic Caio Lucas.
“Hamad? He has some outstanding attributes, he’s a great goalkeeper, we believed he’d save one or two penalties for us and that’s exactly what happened. One day, at club-level, I took a penalty against him and scored, but he did almost save it (laughs).”
While celebrations were rightly in order after the final whistle, the hunt for glory will swiftly resume as the Emirati players will have just two days to prepare for their clash with Morocco on Monday at the Khalifa International Stadium.
“Today, we’ll celebrate our keeper’s achievement, but only today”, Lucas Pimenta warned. “We need to prepare and recover in time to face Morocco, and hopefully we’ll manage to win again.” FIFA
