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UAE Blank Bahrain

ABU DHABI - UAE women are on the verge of something special. Playing their first ever international football tournament, UAE will look to take a slice of history. Standing in their way are defending champions Jordan.

Hosts UAE will lock horns with Jordan in the final of the 3^rd Western Asia Women’s Football Championship at the Military Stadium on Sunday.

UAE defeated Bahrain 4-0 in the semifinal on Friday. Earlier, in the first semifinal, defending champions Jordan swamped Palestine 10-0.

UAE, who had started their campaign with a 4-2 win against Palestine in Group B, didn’t have it that easy, but they came away trumps. UAE took the lead in the 37^th minute through Al Jalila Ali Izzi Ali Salem Al Nuaimi. UAE went into half-time with that lead.

After the break, Fatima bint Mubarak Al Maleh doubled the lead for UAE in the 71^st minute. Nine minutes later, she scored her second goal and the team’s third. UAE rounded it out in the final minute of play, off a penalty. Fatima bint Mubarak Al Maleh was fouled by the Bahrain defence and Sara Mohammad Hasanain made no mistake with the penalty. In the other game, Farah Alaezb scored a hat-trick, Zeena Petro and Mysa Jubara scored two goals as Jordan thumped Palestine. Shahnaz

Jebreen, Saima and Nabar scored one goal each.

Bahrain take on Palestine in the play-off for the third place, followed by the final between UAE and Jordan, on Sunday.

The Championship is being held under the patronage of the Shaikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC).

Six National teams from the Western Asia region were taking part in the championship.

The teams were divided into two groups and UAE were placed in Group B along with Kuwait and Palestine. Defending champions Jordan, Iran and Bahrain were in Group A. Jordan won the inaugural championship in 2005 at home and retained the title again in 2007 in Jordan.

james@khaleejtimes.com