UAE in Gulf Cup final

Abu Dhabi: Esmail Mattar scored a heart stopping goal in the first minute of injury time to send hosts, the UAE, to the final match of the 18th Gulf Cup at Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium on Saturday night.

Mattar's goal sent three-time winner Saudi Arabia home. The UAE team will next face Oman in the final match on Tuesday at Zayed Sports City – a repetition of the tournament's opening match, which the Omanis won 2-1 and at the same venue.

Both teams played a tactical and cautious match with Frenchman Bruno Metsu, the head coach of the UAE, and his Brazilian counterpart, Carlos Bakita, applying safety first approach and depending on some fast counter attacks.

The Saudis organised fast counter attacks than the home team but the UAE had the most successful moves, vaporating Saudis hopes of winning a fourth title and opening the door wide for a new champion as both the UAE and Oman have not won the regional tournament before.

The first half of the match was mostly in midfield and only two chances were created. The first one was led by Faisal Khalil, who went past two defenders before watching his shot missing the goal, 37 minutes into the game.

The second was for the Saudis as Yasir Qahtani found a gap on the boarder of the UAE's penalty area but his shot went astray, one minute later.

Metsu brought in Subait Khater to replace Salem Khamis at the resumption of play after the break and the UAE played a more attacking game.

Subait's first flag kick was deflected by the cross bar, five minutes after the interval, while Majed Nasir, the home custodian, saved brilliantly, five minutes later, from Qahtani.

Both Khalil and Mohammad Al Shalhoob, from Saudi Arabia, missed sitters and while the match looked destined to go into extra time, Mattar received from Abdul Rahim Jumaa and went inside the penalty box before lashing a left-footer that registered the all important goal.