ABU DHABI // The UAE edged closer towards retaining their West Asian Women's Championship with a 4-0 semi-final demolition of Bahrain at the Sultan bin Zayed stadium on Monday night.
Jamila Marek opened the scoring in the 13th minute to take her tally to five goals in four games while Ouafae Nacha, Dalila Zerrouki and Imen Trodi were all on target in the second half to complete the rout.
The score-line doesn't tell the actual story as the way the UAE dominated the game for the entire 90 minutes but Hassan Ajenoui had no qualm on the margin of victory and the flurry of chances his players wasted.
"The format is very exhausting at any level," said Hassan Ajenoui, the coach. "We are playing games every other day and when we play the final it would be five games in 10 days. This is incredibly exhausting.
"Under the circumstances I am very pleased of the fact we won and are in the final."
Ajenoui again declared a rest day for his team ahead of Wednesday's final. The team were given a day-off before playing Bahrain.
"My players were a bit fresh after the rest day we had at the end of the group phase matches," he said. "I am following the same pattern and have given them another rest day ahead of the final."
Marek tapped in a cross from Sabrine Mamay for an early lead and then the host team missed at least four scoring opportunities.
Mamay's effort was cleared from the goal by Reem Al Hashmi, the Bahrain defender, when Huda Salman, the goalkeeper, was out of position.
Trodi was wide on an open goal after dribbling past a couple of defenders, Marek's close range effort was pushed out by Salman and Sara Hasanain couldn't finish from a one-on-one against Salman.
The UAE began the second half brightly. Nacha, the second half substitute headed a cross from Hasanain, Zerrouki was on target with a diving header after an earlier effort crashed against the crossbar and Trodi rounded off the win with a fine solo effort.
Khalid Al Harbhan, the Bahrain coach, said they missed the services of three key players including their playmaker Deena Abdul Rahman.
Yet he was gracious in defeat, saying said: "The scheduling was very tight and the players were tired and some were injured. The better team won on the night but I have only praise for my players. I think they did very well to reach the last four stage of the competition.
"We are developing the national team and I feel we are going on the right path by encouraging and providing the opportunities to the locals."
Iran defeated Jordan 3-2 in the second semi-final to finalise the championship match, Wednesday at 5.15pm.
Iran defeated the UAE in an earlier match, 4-1, with Ajenoui citing the Iranian side's better fitness as the key to their victory.