UAE players determined to put up a good show in AFC Asian Cup semifinal

Abu Dhabi - The onus is clearly on Ismail Matar and strikers Ali Mabkhout and Ahmed Khalil

The UAE have few injury setbacks but the 'Whites' are upbeat about winning the AFC Asian Cup 2019 semifinal against Qatar on Tuesday.
The onus is clearly on Ismail Matar and strikers Ali Mabkhout and Ahmed Khalil to steer the team through to the final. The backline remains a cause of worry in the absence of Khalifa Mubarak and Mohamed Ahmed but rest of the players are more determined than ever to overcome each difficulty.
Young midfielder Ali Salmeen is confident the players will live up to the expectations of the fans and the countrymen.
"I hope we will not be affected by the absence of our injured players. Our aim is to win the semis and then the final," Salmeen said during the pre-match press conference.
The 23-year-old Al Wasl player isn't worried about the hype surrounding the encounter.
"I see this as a football game of 90 minutes. Our focus in on the pitch and we don't bother much about what's being said on the social media," he added.
The UAE have so far remained unbeaten in the tournament. And experienced defender Ismail Ahmed promised that the run will continue till they lifted the Cup.
"We will continue to fight till the last moment. We will not leave the tournament without achieving our final goal of winning the Asian Cup. We understand everyone is waiting for this achievement. We are all united in our aim to fulfil the aspirations of our fans," he told UAE FA website.
Ismail said everyone was united to deal with the difficulties on the path to the Cup. "We know that the tournament is becoming more difficult than previous rounds. But we are more determined than before and will not spare any effort to achieve our goal." 
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com