Al-Jazira's goalkeeper and team leader, Ali Khasif, who played a key role in leading 'Fahr Abu Dhabi' to the semi-finals of the UAE President's Cup football competition at the expense of Bani Yas, stated that the fighting spirit the team displayed during the match led them to qualify. He confirmed that the goal was clear from the beginning: to reach the 'golden square'. After the match, held at Al-Niyah Stadium and won by his team 2-1, Khasif praised the club's board of directors for standing by the players in the past period, noting that this support was a major motivation to win against 'Al-Samawi'. Al-Jazira opened the scoring through Venicius Millo (40'), Bani Yas equalized with a goal from Suhail Noubi (86'), before Bruno de Oliveira secured the qualification for 'Fahr Abu Dhabi' (87'). The veteran goalkeeper had saved a number of difficult chances throughout both halves, standing as an impenetrable wall against the continuous attacks on his goal, which contributed to the team's victory. Khasif said: 'We must always give everything we have and do our utmost to present the team in a good light. The most important thing is that we qualified, but we still have important matches ahead where we must give our best. We lack no capabilities, and I hope for a better future'. On the other hand, Bani Yas player MacKenzie Hunt expressed regret for the missed opportunities his team 'Al-Samawi' had during the match, confirming that his team lost the match in a harsh scenario after conceding a goal in the final minutes. The player stressed the need to quickly recover from this loss, saying: 'We faced a difficult team, and we need to wake up quickly and deliver a better performance in the upcoming league matches'. Al-Ahli Dubai faces Al-Jazira and Al-Ain clashes with United 'The Dark Horse'. The draw for the semi-finals of the UAE President's Cup football competition, which was held yesterday, produced exciting matchups. It pitted the defending champion, Al-Ahli Dubai, in a tough match against Al-Jazira, while Al-Ain will face the surprise team of the current edition, United, one of the first division clubs that achieved a remarkable feat by eliminating both Sharjah and Al-Wahda on its way to this round. Al-Ahli Dubai qualified by beating Khorfakkan, Al-Jazira advanced at Bani Yas's expense, and Al-Ain reached the 'golden square' after overcoming Dibba, while United, led by legendary Italian coach Andrea Pirlo, pulled off a major surprise by qualifying at the expense of Al-Wahda. The semi-final matches will be held at neutral stadiums, and the final of the competition will be hosted at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium.
