Dubai: The UAE lost 1-0 to Gabon in the third-place play-off to finish fourth in the King’s Cup at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Sunday.
Levy Madinda scored the game’s only goal on 14 minutes after volleying in Mario Limina’s cross, which had been chipped back over the head of Amer Abdul Rahman by Andre Poko.
The UAE’s Ahmad Khalil shot straight at the keeper before the half hour and Gabon’s Axel Meye shot just wide after being put through on goal before the interval.
Khalil again came close when his freekick was punched clear after the hour, but by far the best chance for the UAE to equalise came on 84 minutes when Ahmad Al Attas’ effort, after running onto a cross, was picked out of the top corner.
Both teams were missing star players with Gabon’s Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang granted compassionate leave following the death of his grandmother and UAE duo Omar Abdul Rahman and Ali Mabkhout of Al Ain and Al Jazira making way to give others a run out.
The UAE had lost 2-1 against Slovakia in Thursday’s semi-final also at the Rajamangala, when Ahmad Khalil pulled one with 17 minutes to spare after late first half goals from Albert Rusnak and Michal Duris.
Elsewhere, Gabon had lost to hosts Thailand 4-2 on penalties in Thursday’s other semi-final at the same venue, to pitch Thailand with Slovakia in Sunday’s final.
The King’s Cup is an annual four-team friendly tournament held in Thailand. This was only the UAE’s second appearance where they previously finished fourth on their debut in 2016 behind Thailand, Jordan and Syria.
Thailand had won the past two tournaments and are record 15-time champions.
UAE coach Alberto Zaccheroni was using this tournament to try out new players in the build-up to the UAE’s hosting of the Asian Cup from January 5 to February 1 next year.
The UAE failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in a campaign shared by Mahdi Ali and Edgardo Bauza last year.
Zaccheroni took over in October and led the side to the final of January’s Gulf Cup in Kuwait before defeat to Oman on penalties. The Italian former AC Milan coach, who won the Asian Cup with Japan in 2011, is now tasked with doing the same on homesoil for the UAE.
