Abu Dhabi: The morning after the heartbreak in the Gulf Cup final, Omar Abdul Rahman will be the fall guy for missing those two penalties against Oman. However, there is no point in only blaming ‘Amoori’ for the loss. If you score just one goal in normal period in the entire tournament to make the finals, that too via a penalty, then the ‘Whites’ were bound to stumble at some point or the other.
The fact is the UAE forwards were plagued with the inability to convert clear cut chances and Italian coach Alberto Zaccheroni couldn’t find a cure until the end. Zaccheroni was hoping against hope that Abdul Rahman would somehow create that one magical spark that would see them through.
With Ali Mabkhout, Ahmad Khalil and Esmail Al Hammadi struggling with striking woes, Abdul Rahman was always under pressure to deliver.
He was the lone person who was providing thrust to the side upfront, with a beefed up defence. If you are the mainstay of the team, then you are on the firing line of the opposition. Abdul Rahman was sore going into the finals following the harsh tackles he weathered through the tournament. He started the first half with an injection to his left leg to subside the pain and after the break, another injection was pumped into his right leg as well.
And when it mattered the most, the ace playmaker caved in, exactly as the stands barrier collapsed under the burden of the fans during the post-match Oman celebrations.
The only sad part here being like the Italian striking legend Roberto Baggio (in the ‘94 World Cup final against Brazil), Abdul Rahman, who plays with his heart on his sleeves, will have to live with this setback for life. Hopefully, he will not be remembered for this lone blot in his illustrious career.
The Al Ain attacking mid-fielder was in disbelief and was hiding his face under his own jersey once he missed the penalty two minutes from time. Then to be asked to step forward to take the fifth shot in the penalty shoot-out, when pressure had piled up, can be debated as a wrong move. But then what better option can Zaccheroni have when Abdul Rahman is one of the most bankable players in such situations.
The Afro-haired sensation, having been denied while aiming for the right in his first spot kick in regulation time, chose to target the left in the penalty shoot-out but again Oman goalkeeper Faiyz Al Rashidi read it to perfection.
Oman’s Dutch coach PIM Verbeek came to the support of the UAE team. “You have to feel for them because they played 120 minutes only couple of days ago and to lose in the penalties is not a nice feeling.
“There is not much difference between all these teams. You can see how many big results were there, virtually none. How many goals did Emirates score just one penalty. Teams like these like to be very organised in the defence, we also were good. I think this competition with all the pressure around, any team can win.”
Verbeek went on to add that he had come to Oman because he wanted to be a part of Gulf Cup at least once in his career. “It is fantastic of course, as I wanted to lead a team in Gulf Cup. I didn’t expect to be successful of course when we started. This title will be great for Oman football and their fans. I believe the people of Oman will also be proud of myself now.”
