Tuesday cover: UAE set for one of biggest footballing moments

The National's Sport cover for the Tuesday, January 27 issue, featuring the big UAE v Australia match in the Asian Cup semi-finals.

The UAE have been to the Asian Cup final only once – in 1996 – and are assumed to be the big underdogs in Tuesday’s last four decider.

But Sports Editor Paul Oberjuerge runs through the numbers and finds that might be a bit of a misperception:

“A sense of inevitably seems to have settled around Australia’s match with the UAE today.

“The assumption among impartial pundits seems to be that the Emiratis represent a minor hurdle – certainly one lower than Japan would have posed – before the hosts reach their second Asian Cup final.

“The UAE has an interesting little team, with the kid with all the hair who does tricks and a striker with four goals, but Australia at home?

“Done deal.”

But, Oberjuerge goes on:

“The question is: why?

“Australia are ranked No 100 in the world, 20 places behind the UAE.

“The UAE have lost one game in this tournament, 1-0 to Iran, at 51 the highest-ranked team in Asia. Australia have lost one game in this tournament, 1-0 to South Korea, ranked 69.

“No great bank of meetings between the countries exists; they have no previous meetings in World Cup or Asian Cup qualifying or games.

“What minimal contacts exist between the footballing nations certainly do not suggest an Australian walkover today in Newcastle.

“In October, the countries played a friendly in Abu Dhabi. It finished 0-0.”

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