Doha: The Moroccan national team qualified for the final of the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025, defeating the UAE 3-0 in their semi-final match on Monday at Khalifa International Stadium.
According to Qatar News Agency, Morocco's goals were scored by Karim El Berkaoui in the 28th minute, Achraf El Mahdaoui in the 83rd minute, and Abderrazak Hamdallah in the first minute of stoppage time (90+1).
Morocco will face the winner of the second semi-final match, which will be played later Monday at Al Bayt Stadium, between Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
In the first round, Morocco topped Group B with 7 points from three matches, defeating Comoros 3-1, drawing with Oman 0-0, and then defeating Saudi Arabia 1-0. In the quarter-finals, they defeated Syria 1-0.
The UAE national team finished second in Group C with four points from three matches, having lost to Jordan (1-2), drawn with Egypt (1-1), and then defeated Kuwait (3-1). In the quarterfinals, they overcame Algeria 7-6 on penalties after the two teams drew 1-1 in both regulation and extra time.
The match between Morocco and the UAE was a high-level affair, with both teams exchanging attacks. The UAE pressed from the opening minutes and sought to open the scoring through their captain, Yahya Al Ghassani, but Moroccan goalkeeper Mehdi Benabid successfully thwarted the attempt.
The Moroccan team, in turn, tried to find the net, and after a well-organized attack, Karim El Barkaoui nearly opened the scoring in the sixth minute, but the UAE goalkeeper made another save.
The Moroccan national team intensified their attacking efforts through the penetrations of Anas Bach, Walid Azaro, and Karim El Berkaoui. The latter succeeded in reaching the goal after receiving a cross from Hamza Al Mousawi. He controlled the ball inside the penalty area and headed it directly into the net, giving his country a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute.
After the goal, the Moroccan team continued to dominate the match, and their player, Amin Zahzouh, almost added a second goal in the 34th minute after a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but his shot was saved by the UAE goalkeeper, Hamad Al Muqbali.
For their part, the UAE team sought to get back into the game and equalize. They began to impose their rhythm on the match through quick transitions from defense to attack led by Lucas Caio, Bruno Concei§o, and Nicol¡s Jim©nez, but the Moroccan defense thwarted all of these attempts.
The excitement and competitiveness continued from both sides, with Morocco having the upper hand. They launched several attacking attempts on more than one occasion, but to no avail, and the first half ended with them leading the UAE 1-0.
At the start of the second half, the UAE pressed forward through their players Amaral Ruben, Khalid Al Dhanhani, and Lucas Caio. The latter almost scored the equalizer, but his shot was brilliantly saved by Moroccan goalkeeper Mehdi Benabid in the 47th minute.
The UAE continued to dominate for most of the second half, searching for an equalizer by relying on the runs of their forwards, including Bruno, Lucas Caio, Majid Rashid, and Nicolas Jimenez. However, the solid Moroccan defense thwarted all these attempts.
On the other hand, the Moroccan team did not simply defend. They also had occasional attacking forays, relying on their players Walid Azaro and Achraf El Mahdaoui. El Mahdaoui managed to add a second goal for his team in the 83rd minute with a powerful shot that deceived UAE goalkeeper Hamad Al Muqbali, making it 2-0 for Morocco.
With the referee adding three minutes of stoppage time, Abderrazak Hamdallah scored Morocco's third goal in the 90+1 minute after receiving a brilliant pass from outside the penalty area from his teammate Mohamed Bouaksout. Hamdallah then slotted the ball into the net, sealing a 3-0 victory for Morocco over the UAE and securing their place in the final.