Atlas Lions and Green Falcons storm into the Arab Cup last four

TDT | Manama

Email : hussainm@newsofbahrain.com

Football’s magic and unpredictability shone brightly last night as Morocco and Saudi Arabia secured their spots in the FIFA Arab Cup semi-finals after a pulsating night of quarter-final drama in Doha. Both sides delivered decisive performances, proving that in knockout football, anything can happen.

At Khalifa International Stadium, Morocco edged Syria 1–0 in a match they largely controlled. Under head coach Tarik Sektioui, the Atlas Lions dictated possession and rhythm, while Jose Fernandez’s Syria defended deep and relied on counterattacks. The first major flashpoint came in the 26th minute when Syria appealed for a penalty after Mahmoud Al Aswad went down under a shove from Marwane Saadane. VAR reviewed the contact but deemed it normal, keeping the scores level and tension high.

Morocco intensified their pressure after halftime, carving out chance after chance as Syria struggled to escape their own half. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 79th minute. Mountassir Chouiar unleashed a powerful long-range strike that Syria’s goalkeeper parried straight into the path of Waleed Azaro, who had come on earlier due to injury. Azaro reacted sharply and buried the rebound to give Morocco a deserved lead.

Their momentum was briefly dampened in the 89th minute when substitute Mohamed Mofid was shown a red card for a dangerous stamp on Anas Al Dahhan’s Achilles, ruling him out of the semi-final. Even with ten men, Morocco created further chances and comfortably saw out the win to advance to the last four, where they will face the winner of Algeria vs UAE.

At Lusail Stadium, Saudi Arabia, managed by Herve Renard, triumphed 2–1 over Palestine after an exhausting, high-drama battle that stretched into extra time. The Green Falcons opened the scoring in the 58th minute when Salem Al Dawsari was fouled in the box, allowing Feras Al Buraikan to convert the penalty. Palestine equalised six minutes later as Ameer Sawarfta’s early ball found Oday Dabbagh, who controlled expertly and fired past Nawaf Al Aqidi.

Regular time ended in chaos: Majrashi struck the bar, Saudi had a handball appeal denied, and an apparent winner was ruled offside. Extra time saw Saudi pour forward relentlessly, and in the 115th minute Al Dawsari delivered a perfect cross that Mohamed Kanno headed home from close range to break Palestinian hearts and finally reward Saudi’s pressure.

Saudi Arabia now await the winner of today’s Jordan vs Iraq clash at Education City Stadium. Both semi-finals are set for December 15, with the final and third-place match on December 18.