The ongoing FIFA Arab Cup™ has been a tournament of upsets. Tunisia, runners-up four years ago, have departed. As have Egypt, semi-finalists at the previous edition, along with hosts Qatar.
In their place, Palestine and Syria, both of whom had to progress from the qualifiers to reach the tournament proper, have flourished. That pair now have the chance to keep their impressive runs going as they face Saudi Arabia and Morocco respectively in the last eight.
Morocco v Syria
Kick-off times
17:30 in Al Rayyan
15:00 in Rabat
17:30 in Damascus
Morocco last five matches: W4 D1 L0
Syria last five matches: W3 D2 L0
The match
Syria are in the midst of an exceptional run of form, having lost just the once this calendar year and playing with poise, control and discipline at a tournament where they rolled Tunisia on their way to a second place finish in the group. They now face an equally impressive Morocco outfit that has grown as the competition has progressed, culminating with a 1-0 win against Saudi Arabia that saw them finish as section kings.
Players to watch
Experienced forward Omar Khribin continues to be Syria’s talisman in front of goal. A sublime free-kick against Tunisia in their opening win was followed by an even better finish three days later to rescue a point against hosts Qatar and, at 31, he is arguably at the peak of his scoring powers.
Equally as influential at the regional showpiece has been Morocco’s versatile forward/winger Karim El Berkaoui. Handed the chance to impress in the absence of a core group of regulars, the 30-year-old from Agadir has certainly done that, finding the back of the net in group stage wins over Comoros and Saudi Arabia.
Suspended players
None
What they said….
“Nobody thought that we were going to go through, but we always believed in it and here we are now, happy and not just for ourselves, for all the people in Syria and all the Syrians living abroad. We’re in a good flow and football is all about going with the flow, so hopefully we can continue that in the quarter-final and we have a strong belief that we can go far.”
Elias Hadaya, Syria goalkeeper
“The game against Saudi Arabia wasn’t easy, but we got the job done and kept a clean sheet – that’s what matters most. The next match will be tough too because Syria are a strong side who have been playing well. We hope to deliver an even better performance. We’re among the favourites [for the title], but there are other strong teams too.”
Walid El Karti, Morocco forward
Palestine v Saudi Arabia
Kick-off times
20:30 in Lusail
19:30 in Jerusalem
20:30 in Riyadh
Palestine last five matches: W1 D3 L1
Saudi Arabia last five matches: W3 D0 L2
The match
Against all odds, Palestine topped a group containing the hosts and the previous edition’s runners-up to reach the quarters for the first time. The Lions of Canaan have proven to be a tactically disciplined, hard-working side that are equally dangerous at the back and going forward. They face an almighty task here though against a Saudi Arabia outfit that booked group stage progression with a match to spare, allowing Herve Renard to rest his starters in a 1-0 loss against Morocco that ultimately saw them finish second in the section.
Players to watch
Operating either as a central midfielder or in a more advanced role, Hamed Hamdan has been superb for Palestine in their first three outings. A physical presence capable of breaking up play, the left-footer is also a silky and dangerous threat going forward, as evidenced by his superb long-range strike against Tunisia.
Rested from the Green Falcons’ final group outing, the mercurial Salem Al Dawsari was extraordinary in his nation’s first two matches. A pair of assists in wins over Oman and Comoros was topped off by a goal in the second of those encounters as one of Asia’s most dangerous creative threats continues to impress in Qatar.
Suspended players
None
What they said….
“We achieved something special and unique for Palestine and this is for all the Palestinians who have been suffering in the last few years, especially in Gaza, so now we keep trying to win. Playing for this flag and this country is so special and in 90 minutes we can beat anyone. For sure our target is to win the Arab Cup and continue to make our people happy.”
Yaser Hamed, Palestine defender
